Eternity
by Miley Owns My Gypsy Heart
Summary: Over 5000 years 5 women have shared 1 Soul. Shane has been cursed to wonder the Earth for Eternity, in present day he meets Miley, the 6th carnation of his Soul mate. Shile, Joley, Jiley, Moe. Clea & Sage.
1. Prologue

_**ETERNITY**_

_**PROLOGUE**_

_5,000 Years Ago_

_I couldn't keep going. I was weak, too weak. I had been going for what felt like days, I had been seperated from my family at some point. I had been seperated from _her_ for what felt like Eternity. I fell onto the sand, too weak to keep going. I Prayed she would forgive me for not returning, I knew I couldn't, not anymore, the distance was too far and I'd been too long with food and water._

_As I dropped my head in exhaustion I saw a glimmering in the distances and I forced my head back up. A small spring, the substance inside was silvery and made patterns that mesmerised me even from this distance. But, it was definately liquid. If I could just get to it, it may give me the strength to return to her, to hold her in my arms again._

_I forced my body to move, to go forward. Up close the substance was even more hypnotic, but I couldn't dwell on it long. I dipped my cupped hands in and felt the cool liquid sooth the cuts and callouses on them as I brought them up to my lips, greedilly drinking down the mysterious liquid. It tasted fruity, as though the colors dancing on the surface reflected fruits and their flavours in the drink. And metalic. Fruity and metalic. I didn't care what it tasted of, it helped; I kept drinking, bringing handfull after handfull up to my lips to ease the insufferable pain in my stomach, each mouthful felt like Heaven._

_After several gulps of liquid, savouring the feeling of having any sort of sustinance in my body again I brought some up and scrubbed across my face, feeling the pain and heat of days alone in the sun lessen at the feel. I rested for a while, taking more gulps of liquid as I felt my body start to react to longer being empty. I'd suffered cuts and even a terrible bite on my leg during my travels. I carefully stripped off my clothes, perhaps I could clean the wound, give myself a better chance of seeing her face again, of hearing her melodic voice. As I slipped into the spring I felt a soothing all over my body, tingling across my skin. The liquid in the spring seemed to soak into my skin, healing my wounds and replenishing my life._

_Just a quick rest, I promised myself, a quick rest in the spring and I would find my way back to her, I would keep my promise and return to her. I gulped more of the sustance down, relishing in the feel. I reached for my long-empty water canteen and dipped it down, filling it with the liquid. I drank directly from that instead, feeling ever swollow strengthen me._

_The sun had been long after high when I found the spring, close to setting in fact. When I had rested and drank down several canteens of the liquid in the spring, and washed my old dirty, torn clothes to not scratching liike knives against me it was dark. I would not be able to find home in the dark, I reasoned, I would stay at the spring until light. I used my shirt as a rest for my head and laid on the ground next to the spring, a full canteen next to me, I would drink it through the night and replenish it in the morning._

_It was in the light of morning that I noticed my hands no longer scarred, the bite in my leg no longer there, my wounds completely gone. It was only a small spring to begin with, I had emptied nearly a third as I drank yesterday. I refilled my canteen and wondered if it would be enough until I found home again. I squinted through the early light for something more to hold the liquid, when I found nothing I sighed and stood, holding tight to my canteen as I started walking again, if I found something close I would return, I resolved, but my goal was to be home with her again._

_As I walked I didn't feel tired until the sun was reaching its peak, by nightfall I had barely broken a sweat. I hadn't found anything to return and gather more of the silvery substance in, but I still had a full canteen of it. Come the next morning and I started walking again, taking a slow, short drink from my canteen. In the four days it took me to find the outskirts of home I had drunk all of the liquid and was anxious to return to my love._

_I felt stares and whispers as I entered the town, it made an uneasy feeling settle in my stomach. I neared the home I shared with my love and I felt my heart freeze. It had taken years of fighting and the blood of multiple other gladiators on my hands and sword, but I had managed to buy the freedom of myself and my love and we had a small home together. We had been talking of starting a family as well. The stone walls of our home had been knocked over and the roof was collapsed in._

"_Milenia!" I called, pushing through the rubble. Where was she? Where was my precious?_

"_You should not have left the arena." A voice boomed and I spun in the rubble. I had been the Primus when I bought our freedom, but many a gladiator wanted to battle me, and many a Batiatus wanted their gladiators to be the one to kill me in the arena. My last battle had been harder than most, I had been baddly injured and before I had bathed in the spring my scars had gone and I felt stronger than ever._

"_What did you do to Milenia?" I demanded, Milenia had always begged me to leave the arena, every time I came back injured she would cry, last time had been the worse and I swore I would never let her cry again._

"_You belong in the arena." It was a rival Batiatus, the one whose gladiator I killed in the Primus as my last battle._

"_Where is Milenia?" I felt strong and powerful as I jumped off a large stone that had once been part of the wall. I took the batiatus down as I lept on him._

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><p><strong>Okay, I had absolutely no responses to the idea of this, so I'm just gonna put the Prologue up and see what the responses are, maybe even Chapter One, before I decide if I'm going to continue it or not.<strong>

**The idea is that Shane ingested an absorbident amount of the Elixir of Life and through-out his life since he was a mortal in Ancient Roman times as a Gladiator he has met the incarnations of his Soul mate Milenia in various and just like Sage with Clea he can't stay away and just falls more in love with each time he meets her Soul.  
>The story starts with Miley at Stanford after HM finished and she starts seeing a mysterious man in random places that no-one else can see, and she starts having dreams in various eras of a man and herself as other women being in love.<br>So far the idea is for it to follow the same premise as Elixir by Hilary Duff, but that's most likely going to warp. It's called Eternity after the JB song and to go with the same thing with the E in Elixir. And if I make a 2nd one that's going to be Destiny after Miley and to follow the D in Devoted.**

**Let me know what you guys think, if you want me to keep going with this or just stick to a sequel to PD.**

**5 reviews if you want me to put the 1st chapter up.**

**Joe's Dream Lover Out!**


	2. I

_**CHAPTER ONE**_

_Friday, January 13th_

I felt crushed and suffocated in the sea of bodies, the music thumping so loudly I could feel it more than I could hear it. College parties were a lot different to high school parties I found. I pushed my way through the bodies, hearing whistles, cheers, I felt people touching me in inapropriate places; anything to say that they touched Miley Stewart, they acted like they didn't care, but they did. College - even though I was with my best friend, Lilly - was a huge mistake. I was asked for more pictures and autographs my first day of classes than at my high school graduation, and it hadn't stopped. Lilly and I had different classes, she always thought I was exagerating, I just wished I'd stayed in Paris instead of coming to Stanford. Once I was outside I was accosted by drunk students and non-students alike. I walked to the edge of the property and down the street a little ways, away from the Fraternity house and I sat down on the curb of the road with a sigh. I'd come because Lilly insisted I needed a good party night after my boyfriend Jesse broke up with me for some girl he met on the road. Another cheater. Another loser, I don't know what it is about me that attracts losers; Jesee, Jake, Travis, that creep Ralphie... Aaron was actually a nice boy, probably the better of my dates, just a sweet boy who trusted so easilly and was a Momma's boy, the spark just wasn't there with him. Back to the losers; Austin, Connor was nice at first but he turned out to be a jerk as well,, Johnny Collins, Rico, Trey Harris, Willis wasn't a jerk but it was humiliating to find out he was 11, Josh Woods... I just can't find a good guy. Sometimes I think it would be better if I stopped dating guys alltogether. Except I don't like girls... Maybe I should just stop dating and become, like, asexual or something.

I took out my phone, just for something to do and I felt eyes on me, I looked around, but I couldn't see anything except the beautiful full moon, I had the sudden urge so I snapped a picture with my Z-phone and set it as my background. I sighed again and texted Lilly that I was going back to our dorm room. I don't know why, but I e-mailed the picture of the moon to myself and opened it on my laptop, enlarging it to full screen. I gasped when I looked at it. I enlarge it more, zooming in on a particular dark spot. No. Nope. It wasn't my imagination.

There was a person, a tiny little grainy man. He had broad shoulders, dark, slightly curly hair, and he was turned away, facing down, brooding. I don't know who it was or how the Hell he got into my picture of the moon, but it was kind of creepy. I shook my head, I was just imagining it, I decreased the picture back to normal and saved it to the computer before I shut it and went to get ready for bed. There was no way a man could be in that picture of the moon, it was directly of the moon, my eyes were just tricking me.

After a scalding hot shower to relax my aching muscles I settled into my bed opposite Lilly's and let myself slowly slip into sleep. Sleep was never a safe place for me; nightmares (everyone has nightmares, right) except mine haunted me almost every night of my teen years. Nightmares of my Hannah secret getting out and multiple over-lapping, replaying scenes of what would happen after that. Tonight I didn't dream about that, or being chased by rabid fans, or stalked by paparazzi, or the re-occuring nightmare of a stalker breaking into my dormroom and doing unmentionable things to me; tonight I dreamt about a man. A man I had never seen before with soft brown eyes, slightly curled, short black hair. Drool-worthy muscles, he was shirtless, loose hanging dirty white pants. And two swords, he had a sword in each hand, his bare chest was glistening with sweat and there were cuts and scraps all over him.

Another man was on the dirt ground in front of him, on his knees, his head bowed. The man looked over to someone in the crowds screaming for blood and murder; another man held up his hand in a fist with his thumb out on the side and slowly turned it. The crowd screamed as he thumb went down and the man with soft brown eyes let out war cry and both his swords moved in unison. I winced internally when the man on the grounds body went limp, blood spurted and his head rolled. The one with the brown eyes took a couple of shakey steps back and held his hands up in triumph. As he turned to adress the whole screaming crowd I saw his back and winced again; the other warrior had gotten in a good shot at his back, leaving a long, deep cut from the top of his right should down diagonally to the top of his pants. It was bleeding and as he made another turn he dropped to his knees and people came out, dragging the body away, and some helping the man out of the arena.

I felt my body running forward when he was out of the arena and I was at his side. I cupped a hand to his cheek as he was laid down on his back and carried away. They shouldn't have put him on his back. The next scene and I was next to the man again, he was on his stomach and his back was covered with some sort of salve and make-shift bandages. I knelt nex to him and stroked his cheek, his eyes fluttering under my touch.

"Does it hurt?" I heard myself ask and he blinked several times and smiled a little.

"I feel no pain in your company." He replied and I felt myself smile.

"I have heard words, Shane, Dominus wants you to fight in the Primus." I'd been spying during my orders. "Please don't do it?"

"I must fight for us, Milenia, the coin I will make if I win will buy our freedom." Shane said, reaching up and holding his hand over mine.

"What if you don't win?" The thought hurt and I could barely whisper it, the thought of Shane not winning, what that would mean.

"I laid coin aside for our freedom, you find it and you gain your freedom." I felt my heart freeze at the thought, he thought I could continue to live if he died?

"Lucas!" Batiatus entered the room, his gran cloths billowing around him. "You, fetch the champion water." He dismissed me and I quickly got up and hurried off, not fast enough. "A spectacular fight, the Primus is in our grasp, champion of all of Capua, the whores will line up to suck your cock." The thought sickened me; if he keeps fighting, if he doesn't win, a touch other than mine on his cock. I hurried back with a jug of water. Batiatus and Domina called him Lucas, his Roman name, but he was Shane, he'd always been Shane to me and he always would be. Dominus shot me a look before he left and I carefully helped Shane drink some water.

"Milenia." His voice was soft and scratchy. "Promise, promise on our love you will be free if I do not win the Primus."

"Promise you will win the Primus and we can go free together." I told him in response. I leaned in to kiss him.

That's when I jolted awake with a gasp. What the Hell was that? That wasn't like any of my other dreams. I rubbed my eyes and looked around tiredly, it was almost sunrise and Lilly still wasn't back from the party. I whined tiredly and rolled over, snuggling under my blankets and trying to go back to sleep. But, I couldn't, that dream kept haunting me, what was it about? Who was that guy? Why was I dreaming about being in ancient times with some guy I didn't even know? His eyes, though, when I was looking into them at his bedside, they were so intense, so full of love and emotion. It hit my Soul.

I sighed and got out of bed, I guess I wouldn't be sleeping any more. Luckilly for me I didn't have any classes today so I was free to sit in my dorm with my guitar and see where the music took me. At around nine Lilly came back and crashed on top of her bed smelling of alcohole and sex without a word. I looked over at her and shook my head; ever since we'd been talking about college Lilly had been dead set on Stanford, I'd given up a Speilberg and Tom Cruise movie to be at Stanford with her, she was still my best friend, but she'd changed, I don't think she was going to make it to her second semester at this rate. I'd applied to Juilliard, I'd gotten into Juilliard - even before the world knew I was Hannah Montana - and I came to Stanford to be with Lilly and all she did was party, or at least that's what it felt like.

"I'm gonna go visit Dad." I told Lilly even though she was already passed out, she grunted in response and I shook my head and hurried to get ready, grabbing my keys and leaving. In my car at the start of a two-hour drive I turned the radio on, then I switched the radio off; I listened to my own music enough.

Milenia. My name in the dream was Milenia. I don't know what it was, I think it was a dream, but it felt so real; I actually felt like I was in love with that Shane guy, my dream mind knew his back story, I knew how we met. It felt too real for a dream, but there was no way it was real. But, I just couldn't get that look in his eyes out of my head. I slowly pulled into the driveway in Malibu and punched in my code for the gate, driving up to stop right outside the front of the house. I looked up at the house; it wasn't the house I grew up in in Crowley Corners, and it wasn't the house we lived in for six years when we moved to California, but a lot had happened here, and it was home. I switched my car off and got out.

"Dad!" I called as I walked inside. The house was just the same as I left and I smiled a little, running my fingers across the familiar walls. "Lori!" Lori was my old high school nurse who was now dating my Dad, despite the fact that when he started dating again after Mom died I was really upset I'd tried to set them up and I was happy for them; Lori was really nice and her and Dad were really great together. Dad was really serious about her.

"Hey, Bud!" Dad looked surprised as he came in from outside. "What're you doin' here?"

"Just thought I'd visit." I shrugged, walking over to hug him.

"What about classes?"

"Not today." I denied, following him outside. "Hey, Lori." I smiled

"Oh, hey, Miley." Lori smiled and Dad smiled too, he really does care about her. "What brings you here?"

"Just visiting; I'm gonna go see Blue Jeans." I gestured to the stables. When I got there Blue Jeans neighed and I smiled, rubbing his nose and grabbing a carrot from him from the carrot barrel. "How you doin', boy?" I asked and he snorted and rubbed his nose against me, making me giggle. "Yeah, I missed you too, Blue." I kissed his nose and he walked away a little, back to his breakfast. I walked over to the pictures of me and him I'd set up on the wall so he wouldn't forget me and looked at them. The first one was when I first got him when I was four. I only came up to just under his nose, but I had my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. I frowned as I looked closer; there was a man in the background of the photo, I never paid it any attention before, but it was the same turned away, head down, brooding figure that I imagined in the picture of the moon. I took the picture down and looked at it more closely, I definately wasn't imagining it this time.. "You know who this is, Blue Jeans? Hmm?" I asked softly, showing him the picture; the man had black, short, slightly curled hair, he was wearing dark jeans, a white shirt and a black suit jacket. I sighed and shook my head, I was reading too much into everything. I moved to put the picture back and I glanced at the next one; me when I was six on the old stage in town at Crowley. I had a microphone in my hands and I was smiling happily, but the thing that caught my eye was in the back of the picture, off to the side of the stage was the man again, barely visible thanks to a support beam holding up the stage, a support beam he was in fact leaning against.

Okay, the picture of the moon I could have hullucinated, the one of me and Blue Jeans could have been a trick of my eyes if I wasn't still holding, but this was starting to get weird. I moved to the next picture on the wall; I'd chosen these onese because they felt right, now it was starting to feel creepy. The next one I was fourteen and it was the last day of summer before I started high school, I was on the beach with an arm around each of Lilly and Oliver's necks and we were all smiling. And off in the background, seemingly stand _on_ the water was that man again; in exactly the same clothes, and looking exactly the same despite almost 11 years having passed. I didn't bother checking any of the others, I grabbed the three I'd already seen and went back to the house.

"Dad!" I yelled again as I entered, he was sitting in the living room with Lori.

"Slow your horses, Mile, I'm right here." Dad said and I took the pictures over to him, I had to make sure I wasn't hullucinating. "What's the matter?"

"What do you see here?" I place all three pictures on the coffee table and Dad glanced at them.

"Awe, you were a cute little girl." Lori observed, but I kept my eyes on Dad.

"They're the pictures you left for Blue Jeans, Miley." He was starting to sound concerned. I shook my head, if he didn't see it then I was going insane.

"Look closer." I insisted, kneeling down to point out the man in the first picture. "Who's that?" Dad looked closer, picking up the frame to get a better look, a thoughtful frown forming. "And here. And eleven years later." I pointed him out in each picture. Exactly the same, brooding, the exact same outfit, half turned away, his head down. "You see him right?" I had to know.

"I see him." Dad confirmed, now frowning completely.

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><p><strong>Okay, I've decided, if I don't get at least 5 reviews for this chapter then this one is going to be discontinued and I'm going to focus entirely on PD and it's sequel Queen Diaries. If I do get the 5 reviews I'll be tag-teaming them as in every first chapter will PDQD and every second chapter will Eternity.**

**Review please :D**

**Smiler For Joe!**


	3. II

_**CHAPTER TWO**_

"_Shane." Milenia's voice was soft when I saw her. Her hands were tied behind her back and it made my blood boil. I'd been ambushed after I had attacked the Batiatus, my head was still dizzy and my hands were in chains above my head._

"_Milenia." I whispered, she looked broken, there were cuts on her face and visible skin. Milenia had always been perfect, with soft, unblemished skin. They'd cut her, bruised her, broken her Soul. "Milenia, you will be free from here, I promise it."_

"_I have heard words, Shane." Milenia said, "Dominus is going to force you to fight his two best Gladiators in the Primus. Two, Shane, he made me watch; he killed four of his own Gladiators just to prove to me he would kill you."_

"_I vow I will not die, Milenia, I will see you free and happy with our child." I told her confidently. I didn't feel as confident as I sounded, but I couldn't let her know. I had to see her safe or I would die._

"_That would see you free to impregnate me with your child, promise it, Shane, because I could surely not continue without you."_

"_Lucas!" The Batiatus entered the room we had been captured in and my precious Milenia flinched away from him. "I am a fair man, you will have a fair battle." Three slaves entered, one unlocked my hands from over my head, but they were still chained together, another brought in food and another a cup of dirty water. "Eat, drink, you will fight for your wifes freedom." I glared at him, he dare not threaten my love._

"_I win the Primus and you let us free?" I questioned through clenched teeth._

"_If you win against all of my men, prove your sword greater than theirs, your wife will be free." That didn't include me, and it would mean killing all the Gladiators this Batiatus faced me against, but if my precious Milenia could be free it would worth every wound and scar. "I am even gracious enough to allow you to reside in spousal union until your death."_

_**Eternity**_

"Who is he, Dad?" I demanded, feeling creeped and panicked; who was the brooding man in pcitures of me over an almost ten-year period.

"I don't know, Mile." Dad frowned, still holding the picture of me and Blue Jeans when I was four.

"Whoever he is, he's been photoshopped." Lori spoke up, holding the picture from the beach. "I mean, he's standing on water, unless he Jesus, it can't be real."

"Then why him? Why the other pictures? How, when they've always been here?" How in the picture of only the moon? I didn't say the last part, I never would.

"It's not a photoshop job." Dad said and I shot my eyes to him, narrowing slightly "There's something I should have told you a long time ago, Miley, something I should have shown you." He got up, putting the picture down and walking away. I would have followed him if I wasn't so confused and Dad returned a few minutes later with a book; one just like all our photo albums. "I don't know how I didn't see these ones." Dad said, handing me the album. I frowned down at it and he nodded for me to open it.

The first thing I saw was me; I couldn't have been more than one or two days old. I only knew it was me because Dad used to bring it out all the time, saying it was one of his favourites. The picture right next to it was zoomed in; in my big blue infantile eyes, right in the pupil with the glint of light. There, right in the light of my newborn pupil stood the man from the other pictures, hidden in the blackness of my eye, facing straight ahead for the first time, but too dark to see his face. I looked up at Dad and he sighed and nodded.

On the second page I saw me again, on the day I learned to walk; we were in a park, my Moms arms were oustretched as I toddled towards her. I could see even without the enlarged image next to it, the man leaning against a tree in the same jeans, white shirt and suit jacket. He was faced towards the camera for the first, his head up for a change, looking straight at me with pained brown eyes. Eyes I had seen before. Eyes that in my dream had been full of love and emotion. It was the Gladiator from my dream, the one the other man called Lucas, the one I called Shane, the one who in my dream I felt so in love with it hurt.

I touched my fingers to his grainy, pixilated face, made all the more vivid by my dream. How had I dreamt so clearly of a man I had never seen before? How did the same man appear in pictures of me as an infant, small child and teenager?

"Shane." His name fell from my lips almost subconsciously.

"You know him?" Dad asked and I tore my eyes away from his dark brown ones in the picture.

"I-I had a dream about him." I didn't elaborate, I didn't want to. I could tell Dad wanted more and Lori was interested, but I didn't want to.

"Your Momma saw it first, pictures of you with this man in the background, she collected them all until she died." Lori shifted a little uncomfortably. "That's not just pictures, she researched, what it was, how it would happen, why you. The man appeared from the day you were born." Dad gestured to the first picture. "All through your life." The one on the day before high school. "He appeared in the background, never aging, sometimes in places he shouldn't have been able to be." I turned the page of the book, pictures all through my infancy, early childhood; on my first day of school he was there, leaning against the school building staring straight at me in the exact same outfit of dark jeans, white shirt and suit jacket, his arms cross and an almost proud expression on his face. "She talked to people who were there when they were taken, no-one ever saw him." Well, of course they didn't, in the first one he was in my eye for Christs sake.

"Did Momma ever find out who he was?" One picture, just after my seventeenth birthday - and I only knew that because of the highlighted extensions in my hair - was exceedingly creepy; there was no looking or searching for the man. I was asleep on my side in my bed and he was there, laying right next to me, wide awake in the same outfit, his featurees softened, his eyes slightly pained.

"She found the man himself." I tore my eyes away from the picture to look at him; looking at that one felt right.

"That's the summer she disapeared?" I guessed, the summer before she died; I remember Mom had gone off someone for the whole summer and Dad wouldn't say where, and then when she came back she was sick, some foreign bug wreaked havoc with her immune system.

"When she came back she said he wasn't going to hurt you, but I wasn't to tell you we knew until you saw him first."

"Where is he? Who is he? Why is he in pictures of me?" I felt my heart start to race.

"I don't know, Mile." Dad shook his head and I frowned. "Momma wouldn't tell me, she just said to keep collecting the pictures and to give that to you when you realised it." I closed the book, the creepy picture of us laying together disapearing from sight.

"I need to go." I decided, standing up and heading for the door. "I just-I-... I need to think." I held the album closely and quickly fled out to my car. I tossed the big book on the passenger seat and drove off. I was about halfway back to Stanford when I stopped, pulled over to the side of the road and just stared straight ahead. My Mom had known that this man, this Shane, had been in my photos since the day I was born. Furthermore she'd found him, he was a real person and she had found him and come back and died because of it. I grabbed the book with that thought and opened it, skimming past the pictures until I reached the one of me onstage getting my high school diploma, that was the last picture and the man was there, off to the side of the stage like the one when I was six; he looked depressed, his head was down again, he wasn't looking at me, he actually looked like he was trying not to look at me. His beautiful brown eyes were squeezed shut and in the enlargement I could even see a tear on his cheek. It took my breath away and I just stared at it until my phone started ringing. Lilly. I pressed ignore and turned back to the book, I needed to know what the Hell all this was.

I turned the page, but it was blank, the next ten pages were empty and then when I did find something it was page out of a book; a baby sleeping peacefully in a crib, and a man standing next to it, big white wings spread ellegantly as he watched the baby. A faded sticky note next to the baby read 'Miley?' The page next to it was full of writing with the headline 'Angel'. My Mom thought this man was my Guardian Angel? The thought was comforting, but then I remembered my dream; he'd been a Gladiator, it had felt so real, it felt like I was there, like I wasn't myself, I was that Milenia. Why would I dream about a Guardian Angel in that context?

_A __**guardian angel**__ is an __angel__ assigned to protect and guide a particular person or group._

I mouthed the words as I read them, I looked at th man with the wings watching over the baby again before I turned the page. The picture on that page sent a chill down my spine; a winged man again, this time painted in black and red with skeletal wings, leering down at a sleeping woman. Another sticky not was next to the woman, the writing more faded from not being pressed as hard, it had a hesitant 'mi?' I swollowed nervously and looked to the article. 'Incubus'.

_An __**incubus**__ is a __demon__ in male form who, according to a number of mythological and legendary traditions, lies upon sleepers, especially women, in order to have intercourse with them. Its female counterpart is the __succubus__. _

A demon who was stalking me my entire life to have sex with me? I had to admit the way Shane had completely cut off the other mans head in the Gladiator arena in my dream had been scary, but I had been in love with him, not scared of him. The picture from when I was sleeping flashed through my mind and I flipped back to it, keeping one hand on the Incubus page.  
>Lies upon sleepers, especially women. I was there, asleep, and the man was there next to me. He looked in pain, why? Was he an Incubus and he couldn't... Rape me that night? I flashed back to the dream, I wasn't scared of him, even now, looking at this exceedingly creepy photo that he shouldn't have been in, I still wasn't scared of him.<br>I went back to the Incubus page and turned to the next one; it was an old black and white photo of the man, Shane, in an old-fashioned tuxedo with a woman on his arm that felt eerilly familiar. The short article on the side was a newspaper clipping from 1877; an engagement notice for Lord Shane Gray and his beloved Lady Elizabeth. An actual photo where the man was actually there from over a hundred and thirty years ago; he looked exactly the same. I touched his black and white face, the look in his eyes, it was the same look he had in my dream when he looked at Milenia. He was in love with Lady Elizabeth.

_Shane Gray; October 5th, 1877. 22_

Mom had written on a post-it under the article and I frowned, he was 22 in 1877. I turned to the next page and it was even older, it was hand-drawn and featured unmistakably Shane as a Knight kneeling with his head bowed and sword in front of him in submission next to a horse with an ellegant looking woman on top. The page next to it was printed out; Sir Shane of England, esteemed Knight, reuniting with his fiance, Lady Aliegsha, after battle.

_Sir Shane of England; March, 605. 22_

Mom had writted on the print-out. 22? Was this the same man? The same man from 1877, the same man from my dream, the same man from my photos? I had no doubt that they were the same man, I don't know why, but it was a feeling than ran through my blood. They were the same man, over twelve hundred years apart and it was the same man.

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><p><strong>Oooh... Drama :D<strong>

**Next chapter is going to be for PD, the funeral, and I'll finish it when I get 5 reviews for this chapter :)**

**Smiler For Joe!**


	4. III

_**CHAPTER THREE**_

"_Milenia." As soon as I had been unlocked I had scrambled over to her, she felt so fragile in my arms. "I will avenge every pain they have caused you." I vowed, holding her close. I quickly untied her hands and feet, kissing the red marks the rope had caused._

"_Kill them, Shane." Milenia said, looking up at me with big blue eyes. "Kill them and let us be free together for Eternity." She kissed me, her lips soft against mine and I returned eagerly, I had been so long without her. Milenia reached down between us and her nimble fingers made quick work of my dirty pants, her hand moving to my cock. "Make love to me, make love to me as a promise for our Eternity." I could not deny Milenia even a single request. I gently pushed my cock into her pussy and she gasped at the contact._

_**Eternity**_

"Miley, where were? Why didn't you answer? I've been worried about you." Lilly looked like death warmed over when I walked into our dorm room. I felt like I was in a daze, I had the photo album in my hands and I hadn't even read through a fraction of the information Mom had collected.

"I told you, Lils, I went to visit Dad." I sighed, never mind that I'd left Dad this morning and it was now seven-thirty at night. "I left my phone in the car." I lied, but it didn't matter, she looked appeased.

"Oh." Was all she said

"Yeah, listen, I have an essay due on Monday so I'm gonna go to the library." Another lie said so swiftly, but Lilly didn't care. She never cared anymore. They say college changed people, but I didn't like the way it was changing Lilly. I grabbed my computer and kept the photo album and fled, I had to find out more. Who was this man? What was he? Why was he in pictures of me? Why did I have that dream about him?

I set my computer up in a secluded cubicle near the back and open the internet. I opened the photo album and was entranced with the Shane man in the first picture for a moment before I flipped to the back. 'Shane Gray 1877' was the first search I did; the first page was non-sensical, detached results. The second page had an exerpt from the article in the book, following the link the first thing I saw was Shane. In grainy black and white he was there, a smile on his lips, his muscles visible through the suit, his eyes shining as he stared at Lady Elizabeth with all the love in the world. I touched his face on my screen and read the article attached. 'Sir Shane of England' in google and the first one was a Wikipedia page. Not only picture with Lady Aliegsha, but another with his sword raised in battle, another one with Lady Aliegsha where he was cupping her face gently. I gasped when I finally saw a better picture of her, she was just eerilly familiar like Lady Elizabeth. She looked like me, or I looked like her. I looked down at the picture in the book of Elizabeth; I could see it now. The three of us weren't the exact same, but we definately were similar.

I turned the page and there wasn't a picture, just an article. I closed the book and searched for people being in photos they weren't there for. Two hours of searching and I was ready to break something, no matter what I searched or how many pages I clicked through it wouldn't tell me anything. I opened the album again and went to the end, past the pictures, past the Guardian Angel, past the Incubus, past the articles on the other Shane's. The very last page in the album was black, it looked just like all the other black pages, but there was a s light bulge in the place where a photo was supposed to go. I opened the space and took out the piece of paper; Mom had put it there so no-one would know, but I was desperate.

_04164476089_

A phone number? That's it? I turned the paper looking for what else was there, but there wasn't anything. I stared at the number; who was it for? Was it this Shane man? I licked my lips nervously and grabbed my Z-phone. Would I call him? Should I call him? I dialled before I could chicken and pressed call.

"_Miley, if this is you, then you know about the man in your photos, which means you are in danger. Your nineteenth birthday set in motion a series of events that only that man can help you with; when the beep happens tell him where you are and he'll protect you. I love you, Caterpilla."_ It was my Moms voice that filtered through the speaker and I gasped. I heard the beep, but I was in shock. What the Hell? My Mom said I was in danger nine years ago? My 19th birthday was two months ago. Why was I in danger? How did Mom know nine years ago that I would be in danger now? What sort of danger? Why was it this man that could protect me? The line went dead and I snapped back to reality and redialled, my breath caught when I heard her voice, but I forced myself to stay on strack.

"Um..." I licked my lips, what was I supposed to say? "I-I'm Miley Stewart." Was I supposed to adress him? Did I just tell him I'm at Stanford? "Uh.. My Mom, Susan Stewart, left me this number, I'm at Stanford, in California. Dorm 366. I-I turned nineteen two months ago, if that means anything." I let out a breath. Was this a trap? Did someone make her say this? "Who are you? How did you know my Mom? Why am I in danger?" The line went dead again before I could ask anything else. I could call back and ask more questions, listening to my Moms voice until I filled the message box. My phone beeped low battery and I sighed, I guess I couldn't do that. I packed up and went back to my dorm. Thankfully Lilly wasn't at a party tonight, she was sleeping soundly in her bed across from mine as I changed into my PJ's.

His lips on my lips, his hands on my breasts, his thumbs brushing over my nipples, his hard, hot, sweaty body on top of mine. I let out a breathless moan as his cock moved inside me, my legs around his hips, my fingers digging into his back and neck.

"Shane." I gasped when my lips were free. He kissed down my neck to my chest, he pulled one of my nipples into his mouth as his slow thrusting continued.

"Milenia." His voice was rough and hoarse, but it sounded like the music of the Gods. His hips pushed against me harder, his cock moving against all the spots that made me moan his name. "Milenia, my love, is your pleasure near to you?" I could only gasp his name and arch my body to further meet his as the walls of my pussy clenched tightly around him and he groaned, his movements slowly as his semen filled me.

I woke with start and gasped.

"Jesus!" I swore, what the Hell? First the guy stalks my photos, then I dream he's a Gladiator, then I get a message of my Mom saying he'll protect me from some danger that started on my 19th birthday, now I'm having sex dreams about him?

Except it didn't feel like a dream, I could actually feel his lips burning into my skin, his hands caressing me in ways not even Jake or Jesse had touched me, his... God, I could feel his hard, pulsing, huge dick inside me as we made love.

I needed a shower, I decided, a reallly cold shower. An extremely cold shower.

I had another fix for my heated, wet problem, but I daren't use it with Lilly in the room. There was an urgent knock on the dorm door and I groaned. Hot and flushed, in desperate need of some alone time and a couple of batteries, and there was someone at the door. The person knocked again.

"Mileeeyyy... Door." Lilly whined sleepily and I groaned again, gettin gout of bed.

"Better be an insanely hot guy with real good hands." I grumbled, pulling my bathrobe on and tearing the door open. I felt my eyes go wide and I gaped at the person on the other side.

"I'm sorry to intrude at this hour." His voice was soft and rough, he wasn't looking at me, but at the spot just over my left shoulder.

"You're real." I finally managed to speak.

"Last I checked." He chuckled lightly and the sound made my stomach flip. "I knew your mother a long time ago, I promised I would protect you." I stepped back and he slowly entered the dark dorm room after me.

"Who are you?" I finally asked and he sighed. "Why are you in photos of me? How did you know my Mom? Wh-?"

"I'll explain one day." Was all he said and I frowned.

"Who are you?" I persisted, backing up from him when he stepped closer.

"I'm here to protect you, I promised your mother." He repeated, walking over to the desk where I'd left my computer, the photo album was on top of it.

"Why did you promise my Mom? Why are you in pictures of me? How are you exactly the same today as the day I was born? How are you the same now as-" Was he the same person? I licked my lips nervously before I continued. "-as... As in eighteen seventy-seven?" He turned to me sharply, even in the dark I could see his brown eyes intensify and he took two steps so he was right in front of me and I stumbled back away from him and fell into sitting on my bed.

"How much do you know?" He asked, his voice dark, brooding, a little panicked.

"My Mom did research." I could barely manage to say before he stepped away, towards my gesture to the photo album. He opened the book and for a long time he didn't turn the page. "Is it you?" He looked up for a second and quickly started flipping through. I saw him smirk and shake his head after a while. He paused after a while and I saw him frown slightly as he read.

"Yes." He eventually said, not ellaborating, nothing.

"That would make you almost fourteen _hundred_ years old." I felt my voice go high and Lilly mumbled invoherently in his sleep.

"This isn't the place." He denied, closing the book. "This isn't the time; I told you I'll explain one day."

"Well, why isn't one day today?" I demanded and he sighed.

"It's just not." It almost sounded like he was snapping. "They've been watching you for a long time, they'll know you know and they-"

"Who are **they**?" I interrupted and he just stopped altogether for a minute. He picked up the album and my phone. I opened my mouth to protest, but he started talking again.

"I promised your mother I'd protect you... Just... It's not safe for you here."

"What did my mother say to you? Who are you? I'm not going anywhere with you until I get some answers." He let out a frustrated sound.

"You have been watched for years. Who knows that you know?" The man said, I didn't even know if his name was actually Shane.

"I don't know anything, you won't tell me anything." I snapped back at him. and he looked startled.

"Who gave you the book? If you only just found out then who gave you the book; it has recent pictures." My graduation picture was the last one in the book.

"My Dad." He frowned and I frowned. Who the Hell is this guy? How can he come here and just say I'm in danger, demand who knew about things I didn't even know.

"We need to see him." He decided.

"You need to tell me what the Hell is going on."

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><p><strong>Okay, depending on the reactions I get this story might be going on hiatus for a while. That's not quitting it or deleting it, just putting it on pause for a while because I'm not getting many reactions.<strong>

**My next update will be PD. If I get 5 reviews for this not only will I update PD as soon as I do, but I'll also continue this for the time being.**

**Review :D**

**Smiler For Joe!**


	5. IV

_**CHAPTER FOUR**_

_I groaned as I was pushed back into the little stone cell the Dominus kept myself and my precious love, Milenia, in. They kept her here, they didn't want her to escape and they chained her up. As the door clanged shut and was relocked Milenia came over and I felt her soft hands, cradle my head into her lap. By the fact I was still alive I had beaten Dominus Batiatus' two best Gladiators in battle todays battle._

_Dominus Batiatus had a brother, our old Dominus who had granted our freedom. They were always competing to be the better brother; there was four in total, all the Dominus of a Ludas in Capua. This one had been the worst. Perhaps if we had been bought by another Dominus out of the Batiatus brotherhood Milenia would be safe now._

"_Help!" Milenia screamed, cupping my face gently, her soft hands easing the pain just with her pressence. "Please, you have to help him, please?" She begged, but no-one came and I could feel her shaking with tears._

"_Milenia." I spoke softly and she was instantly attentive to me. "I love you, Milenia." I reached up and held her hand to my cheek with my larger, dirtier, bloody hand._

"_You promised you would see me with our child, Shane." Milenia said, tears marking hot trails down her porcelain skin. "I beg you to keep that promise."_

"_I will not die when you are not free." I vowed softly. It was the truth, a vow to Milenia, myself and the Gods as well, nothing and not even the Gods themselves could kill me before I saw Milenia free and happy. "My wounds appear worse than they feel, do not worry, Milenia."_

"_I worry for you every time my eyes are not on you." Milenia laid down next to me. I could feel her hot tears, touch my shoulder lightly where she rested her head. They hurt worse than any wound from the arena._

_**Eternity**_

"I've been waiting for your call for nine years in the Nevada desert. I only have less than a year to protect you or-" He cut himself off and turned away.

"Or what?" I demanded before I rolled my eyes. "I'll died?" I scoffed, but he stayed silent. The silence was thick and heavy. "You need to tell me what the Hell is going on. Why am I going to die? What's going to happen? Who's going to kill me? Why am I in danger? Who **are** you/" Instead of answering the man grabbed me and my breath flew out of me when he pushed me up against a wall and towered over me.

"Here's the deal; I promised that I would protect you, so you're going to stop asking questions, you're going to shut the fuck up until we're somewhere safe, you're going to come with me. No arguments, I'll fucking kidnap you if I have to, got it?" He growled and he sounded scary, serious. His hands tightened on my forearms slightly and he glared at me. "Got it?" He repeated and I nodded quickly, fear coursing through me. "Good." He let go and stepped back, I slowly reached up and rubbed my arms, he'd been holding them so tightly I was sure they'd bruise. "Get changed and put whatever you want in this." He tossed me my backpack and I let it hit me and fall to the floor. "Now would be a good time." He said in an obvious tone and my eyes widened a little.

"C-can't I have a little privacy?" I requested and he snorted.

"Trust me, modesty is the last of your worries." He muttered, turning his back to me. I stared at his back, but he didn't move, was that all he was going to do? I sighed and grabbed a random set of clothes, turning my beck to him as well and trying to keep as much of my body covered at all times as I changed. When I was done I looked around and picked up the bag; I threw in another set of clothes, underwear and bras, my phone, my computer, the book, my second phone, I hesitated before I picked up Beary Bear. I took off my 'Miley' necklace and laid it delicately on my pillow. I cleared my throat when I was done and the man turned back and held out his hand for the bag, opening it. He raised an eyebrow at Beary and despite my fear and the devolping hatred I blushed. Then he pulled out my phones and laptop. "No." Was all he said, dropping them on my bed.

"People are going to look for me, you know." I commented as he went through the rest of my things, and went about, grabbing a few things of shelves and desks and out of drawers so quickly I couldn't see what they were.

"I know." He shook his head, almost sounding amused. "You didn't make it easy on me this time."

"This time?" I questioned and he winced, realising he'd said something wrong.

"No more questions, let's go." He zipped up the bag and grabbed my hand, pulling me out of the room after he grabbed my keys, locking the door behind him. He led me to my car, never once letting go of me until he stood right next to the car and made sure I got into the passeneger seat. "Seatbelt." He reminded when he was in the drivers seat and I rolled my eyes. He was kidnapping me, but he cared about my dafety. How sweet. Once I emphatically buckled my seatbelt he tore out of the parking lot and started driving.

"Where are we going? Who are you? What do you want with me? What did you do to my mother?" I asked in quick succession and he sighed.

"We're going to your fathers, my name is Shane and that's all you need to know for now." He muttered, his hands clenching and his jaw tightening. "I didn't do anything to your mother, she died because she was trying to protect you, but the wrong people wanted her out of the way and I wasn't there in time to stop the infection."

"What people? What did they do to her? What was she protecting me-?" I started to ask again, but he cut me off.

"Look, I promised I'd protect you, and I'll explain one day, but those people want you to get to me because they know that you're the only way to get me." Shane said through forced breaths. "And before you say anything they want you because of something you'll never fucking understand because I still don't and you've seen how long I've had to figure it out."

"So naturally if they want me to get to you us being in the same place is completely safe." I rolled my eyes and he let out a frustrated sound.

"Just shut up." He ordered, accelerating to a speed that was definately above the limit. I sighed and turned to stare out the window. I drummed my fingers on the side of the door, I tapped my feet on the floor, I picked at imaginary split ends in my hair. Shane let out an annoyed sound and I rolled my eyes, it's not my fault being kidnapped is so boring. "Would you stop fidgeting?" He demanded and I glared at him silently. "You can talk." He rolled his eyes.

"I'm bored." I snapped at him and he groaned. "If you're going to kidnap me at least turn on the radio." He reached over and switched it on. At this time my usual station was some boring news program. "Change it." I demanded, crossing my arms, I wasn't going to be a peaceful victim. Shane changed the station and scrunched my nose; opera. "Change it again." Shane took a slow, calming breath and changed the station again. "No." I denied and glared ahead.

"Change it yourself." He snapped and I rolled my eyes, turning to a 24 hour rock station.

"You're not a very compliable kidnapper." I commented and I saw him roll his eyes.

"I didn't realise kidnappers had to cater to the victims every whim."

"So you asdmit you're kidnapping me?" I pressed.

"I'm protecting you." He retorted and this time I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, you're protecting me from something you won't tell me what it is because of a promise you won't tell me why you made."

"You're making this difficult." He muttered through a clenched jaw.

"I never said I wouldn't, I'm not here willingly, remember." I pointed out and he was silent. After a few minutes I noticed the sun starting to come up and I sighed, it would have been beautiful any other day or with anyone else. "I'm hungry." I announced a few minutes later.

"I'll get something when we get to Malibu."

"What makes you think my Dad will let you take me anywhere? Especially when I tell him you kidnapped me and that you hurt me?" I asked when we were about ten minutes out of town, I pulled my sleaves up and sure enough where he'd held my arms were already starting to bruise into perfect prints of his hands.

"I'm sorry about that, I don't want to hurt you, that's why I'm trying to save you." Shane's voice was soft and it startled me for a minute, he sounded sincere. What the Hell am I going on about? My kidnapper sounded sincere when he said he didn't want to hurt me? Yeah, right. "What would you like for breakfast?" Shane asked kindly, slowing down as we got into Malibu.

"I don't know, I'm just hungry." I shrugged, turning to look ou the window when he sighed. I didn't pay attention as he pulled into a drive-thru and ordered, I just kept glaring out the window. How the Hell did all this happen? What did my Mom know about this man that she would let him near me? The car pulled to a stop and Shane turned it off, handing me a McMuffin and juice.

"It wasn't only your mother I promised." He spoke softly and I looked at him. "I'm older than fourteen hundred years, a lot older. I was born in the Roman times, as a slave in a Gladiator school." My mouth dropped open. Were my dreams real?

"W-was Milenia real?" I asked hesitantly and his head snapped to me, his eyes dark, intense.

"Where did you hear that name?" Shane demanded and it took a second for me to realise the pain in his eyes.

"I-I have dreams." I stuttered and he tensed. "You're a Gladiator, and you keep calling me Milenia. Were you really in love with her?"

"She was my Soulmate." Shane sighed, looking away. "As far as I've been able to figure that's what it is, a Soul connection; every time she is reborn I find her, no matter how hard I try to stay away from her I can't, I find her and I fall more and more in love with her with every carnation." I was silent; Lady Aliegsha, Lady Elizabeth... Me? "Don't mistake me; I don't fall in love with her because I'm reminded of Milenia, I love her because... Because she's my Soulmate, no two times has she ever been the same. I loved her every time because of who she is individually, her personal traits. I can't help it."

"Why are you in photos of me since the day I was born?" I asked the question again, soft, hesitant, and he sighed, his head dropping.

"With every carnation there is another factor; a man is reincarnated with you every time, as Milenia he was a Gladiator and when I fought against the Ludas he was ordered to kill you. With every life you live so does he, he is a friend and he does not mean to hurt you, he often cares for you in one way or another, but his actions... In no life have you made it to twenty years." I gasped and Shane looked at me, his dark eyes sad and pained. "He is not the only danger to you, there are two groups, one claims to be good, one just wants a curse lifted. They know I would stop at nothing to see you safe, and for that they would kill you just to bring me to my knees. I promised your mother that I would protect you, but long before that, when I felt it in my heart that you were here again, I promised to myself that you would live long and happy."

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><p><strong>1) Katie: I've tried searching for the story you mention about the fallen Angel, but I can't find it. Can you tell me anything else about it? Is it a book, or a fanfiction? Do you know which fandom? It sounds really interesting and I kinda want to read it :D<strong>

**2) Princess of Portugal: Thank-you :D And I'm glad I could help you to like Moe and Macob :) I've thought of doing Miam ones because I just love them together. Despite what one might think Miam is my favourite couple, I just write Joe/Miley 'cause... Well, Miley has Liam and I want Joe. It's just easier to write everything when I'm thinking of Joe. I do have an idea for a Miam story, but I think 2 series going at once is enough for, but I'll keep working out the fine print and maybe it'll make a fanfiction appearence when either this or PD/QD is finished.**

**3) JosephIsSexy:... I just love your name; it speaks pure truth :P**

**4) Has anyone else had that fantasy of pouring a bucket of water over Joe Jonas and just licking him dry? It's a reoccuring dream for me O.o**

**5) Happy Australia Day to any fellow Aussies out there :)**

**6) Hot. In. Cleveland. Joe can massage my feet anyday ;)**

**7) If I get 5 reviews I'll update the 2nd to last chapter of PD. 39 and 40 are bboth already written, the document on my computer has now been changed from 'normal' to 'read only' which means editing is no longer possible. And I think any Joe/Miley sex lovers will love the next chapter of PD.**

**Smiler For Joe!**


	6. V

_**CHAPTER FIVE**_

"_Shane." Milenia marvelled at the smoothness of my skin. "It is a miracle, Shane, the Gods have blessed you." All my wounds from the arena were gone, not even a scar or blemish to be found even where the deepest of wounds had been._

"_I will see my promise kept, for not much longer will you have to be here." I spoke softly, stroking her soft cheek._

"_Our child will be blessed with you as a father." Milenia smiled and I just held her and kissed her. I would see her out of here, not even the Gods could stop me, but I was worried that I would not make it out with her._

_**Eternity**_

"So you're saying I'm the reincarnation of your Soulmate?" I clarified after a couple of minutes of silence.

"I know it will take more than my word to convince you." Shane sighed, looking away.

"Well, if this is all real, then why don't you just get rid of the guy who kills me? And those other people?" I raised and eyebrow.

"I know when you are born, I can feel your very existance in my heart and Soul, not the man." Shane replied, staring out at the sunrise. "And those groups, even though they want to hurt you just to hurt me, I need them so that... So I can make sure this doesn't happen anymore; I've found a way to end the cycle, but you have to be the right age for it to work."

"Oh, my God, you're going to kill me!" I realised with a gasp, reaching for my seatbelt, but Shane was faster and held my wrist tightly when I tried to unbuckle.

"I will never hurt you." His eyes flickered to my upper arms. "If it works one of the two of us will die and won't be you."

"You're going to kill yourself?" I asked, frowning.

"This is not an issue for right now. Right now the only thing I care about is keeping you alive." Shane started the car again and pulled away, starting to drive towards my Dads house. I didn't bother asking how he knew where he lived, he'd been stalking me for years.

"What will going to see my Dad accomplish?" I questioned, I'm not saying I believed him, but if my Mom believed that there was someone out to kill me then I wasn't going to take that lightly.

"I gave your mother something that would help us, hopefully he still has it." Shane replied and I sighed, biting my lip.

"Probably not." I finally said and he abruptly stopped the care and stared at me sharply.

"What?"

"After Mom died, and we moved here, we left most of Moms things in Tennessee becuase they were painful to look at but we couldn't get rid of them."

"Damnit!" Shane swore, punching the steering wheel. "We still need to check though, I need to make sure; it's a dagger." He told me, starting to drive again. "A gold handle, it's got jewels on it, a solid silver blade?" I shook my head, not only was this ridiculous, but it sounded like some fairytale. "If I can get the dagger will you believe me?" I raised and eyebrow.

"You think a knife would convince me?" I scoffed and he sighed. Shane pulled over again and took off his jacket. I felt confused, but I also couldn't take my eyes off his muscles.

"Watch." Shane commanded, pulling a pocket knife out of his jeans, he flipped open the blade and I shied back, but he didn't turn it on me. I couldn't speak as he pressed it into his own forearm and blood started oozing as he dragged it across his skin.

"Oh, my God." I looked away, I wanted to vomit, I'd never been good with blood.

"Look." His voice had a slight growl to it and I had to obey so I turned back; his arm was bleeding, he reached over and grabbed my hand.

"No. Stop, let go." I demanded, trying to pull my hand back as he pulled it towards his cut. "Oh, my God." I repeated, bringing my other hand up to my mouth; I could feel his skin open, cut, I could feel the blood.

"You feel that? I'm cut." I nodded and he let go of me. I quickly drew my hand back and tried to wipe the blood on my jeans, but there was so much of it. So much blood. Shane leaned down and he wiped his arm on his jeans, as if it didn't even hurt, then he held it out, still smeared with blood, but no longer bleeding. I gasped and reached for his arm, it wasn't cut, I wiped more blood away with my hands, not a cut, not a scar, his skin was perfectly smooth. "Now do you believe me? That's been happening for five thousand years; every cut, every broken bone, I've healed from everything for _five thousand years_." All I could do was stare at his arm.

"Wh-I-you-ho-w-?" I couldn't speak, I held felt that cut, his open skin. The blood was everywhere, on him, on me, on my car.

"That's why you're in danger, that's why I have to save you, that's why it's so damn difficult to break the cycle, that's why I need that dagger." Shane said lowly and I gaped at him.

"You can ask my Dad, but I don't think we have it." I eventually whispered and he sighed, faced the front again and restarting the car. My precious blood-soaked car. I'd never be able to get the stains out of the leather seating.

"Let's just go." He stopped when we pulled into the drive and he looked at me.

"Twenty-six, twenty-three." I told him when I realised he didn't know the code. "Going in there with both of us covered in blood won't exactly help my Dad let you kidnap me." I pointed out and Shane rolled his eyes.

"You go get changed, I'll..." He looked down at his jeans. "I'll figure it out."

"Good luck with that; my Dad'll probably shoot you." I told him, getting out of the car. Despite not trusting him, not wanting to go anywhere with him, being actually terrified of him; I did go around the back to the barn where my old room was. I quickly ran into the bathroom and stripped off my clothes, I turned on the faucet in the sink and scrubbed at my hands. Blood on my hands, blood on my arms, I looked at myself in the mirror, blood on my face. I scrubbed until the blood was gone and my skin was raw. Then I slipped into my closet and pulled on some fresh clothes, then I looked at myself again; I had bags under my eyes, I was slightly pale, my hair was a mess. I still kept a lot of things here because I visited a lot, a toothrbush, hairbrush. I used both before I went into the back closet that all the Hannah stuff in it.  
>I don't trust him. I don't like him. I'm scared of him. He's been stalking my pictures since I was born. He claims to be 5000 years old... I opened the safe behind my first framed Platinum record and opened it. I still had allowance and I couldn't access all of my money until I was 21, but Dad did insist that I have some money set aside in cash for emergencies. I found another backpack and cleaned out the safe; five grand in non-sequential bills, a spare phone, a first aid kit, a few energy bars, a pocket knife with about a billion uses, and... A gun. I hesitated picking up the gun, I knew how to shoot; growing up I'd learned how to shoot before I could read, but I was nervous. Who would I have to use it against? Shane? He said one of us was going to die and I certainly didn't want it to be me. With that thought I burried the gun at the bottom of the bag. I zipped up the bag and checked in on Blue Jeans, feeding him a carrot before I went into the main house.<p>

"Miley!" Dad ran over to me and hugged me, I hugged him too. So much had changed in just one day. "Are you okay, Bud, did he hurt you? What does he want?"

"I fine, Daddy." I whispered, I could feel Shane's dark brown eys boring into me. "Momma sent him, I heard her voice." Dad looked at me and I sighed. I grabbed a pen off the table and wrote the number that had been on the paper down. "That's what she left me." Dad nodded and reached for the cordless.

"We have to go, I have to find that dagger." Shane interjected and I sighed, looking down. I wonder what he would do if I refused to go.

"Your Momma and I talked when she came back, Baby Girl." Dad said softly and I looked at him sharply. "The cocoon breaks and the butterfly emerges." I frowned in confussion, what the Hell did that mean? "She said if a man told me that then you were in safe hands." I gaped at him. He was letting me go? Did I get absolutely no say in this? Shane had said he would resort to kidnapping me, and now my dad just said it was perfectly okay for a strange man who he knew had been in photos of me since I was a baby could just walk in, covered in blood and just take me anywhere? "Be safe Butterfly." Dad kissed my forehead gently before he let me go.

"We need to go." Shane persisted, walking over and grabbing my wrist.

"I love you, Daddy." I called as Shane dragged me away. He clicked my car unlocked and opened the passenger door for me, waiting until I was in until he went around to the drivers side and he waited for me to buckle my seatbelt before he did too and started the car. "What did you say to him?" I demanded as Shane sped down the drive and off the property.

"Your mother told me to tell him that and that he'd understand. I'm protecting you, and now he knows that." Shane muttered before he switched the radio on and I rolled my eyes.

"How do I know that? You kidnapped me, cut your own arm open, you say you want to kill yourself. How do I know I'm safe with you?" I snapped over the music.

"You'll just have to trust me." I laughed humorlessly at that.

"Trust you? I don't know you; I don't trust you as far as I could throw you." I slouched down in my seat and glared out the window. "Where are you taking me now?"

"Tennessee; we need that dagger." Shane answered shortly, speeding up a little. "I hope you like roadtrips." Great. A roadtrip with a creep in a car cover in blood. "This is going to be a long few days, isn't it?" He guessed and I rolled my eyes. "What, are you PMS-ing or something?" Shane shook his head and I turned my glare back on him.

"No, I just object to being kidnapped my a homicidal slash suicidal maniac." And he claimed that we kept falling in love with each other? Yeah, right. "Not every time a girl is pissed is because of PMS, you sexist pig."

"Hey, I just don't want to be stuck in a car with mood swings until we get to Tennessee." He raised his hands on the steering wheel in surrender.

"And what is the plan in Tennessee? What if this imaginary dagger isn't there? Then what?" I demanded.

"Then we track down who has it and get it. Without it the cycle continues, and I really don't think you want to die." Shane actually looked pained when he said that; he could cut his own arm open, but saying that looked like it almost caused him physical pain. "I won't let you, not again." It was whispered, like he didn't mean to say it out loud and his grip tightened on the steering wheel and he sped up again.

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><p><strong>What up, People?... Don't know what to write this AN.<strong>

**Next upload will be the last chapter of PD, it's, like, the shortest chapter I've ever written.**

**I'm sad; Joe reportedly went on a date today :(  
>I mean I want him to be happy, but I'm still delussional enough to hope it's with me.<strong>

**Review :D**

**Smiler For Joe!**


	7. VI

_**CHAPTER SIX**_

_I had been sleeping with Milenia in my arms, her warm body reminding me what I was fighting for. I was startled awake by screaming. Not just screaming, Milenia was screaming. I shot up and started towards her shrieks of pain. How had they taken her without my noticing? But, before I could move more than a couple of feet I was grabbed, hands restraining me, ropes and chains quickly tied to me._

"_Milenia!" I called, struggling against my holds._

"_Shane!" Milenia screamed, a bloodcurdling, heartbreaking scream. "Help me, Shane."_

"_Milenia!" I yelled, the chains were cutting into my skin. I had to get to her, I had to save her._

"_Make him watch." Dominus Batiatus ordered and the hands I was struggling against dragged me away._

"_Shane! Shane, help me, Shane!" Milenia begged when I could see her; I lunged, trying to get to her, to protect her. They had her tied up, her hands and feet in all different directions. Her clothes were torn and cut open and all the men were leering at her._

_**Eternity**_

"Is this all we're gonna do till we get to Tennessee?" I sighed, I was bored, Shane had been driving for two hours and I was bored out of my brain.

"You know, I don't think we'll need that dagger, you'll have tortured me to death before we get there." Shane quipped and I rolled my eyes.

"Then what's the point, turn around and take me home." I demanded and he just shook his head in amusement.

"Never have you asked me to take you home so soon." He said and my mouth dropped open. He's a pervert. "But, I guess times have changed, and so have the women."

"Perv." I muttered and he chuckled again. A couple of silent minutes passed when I was contemplating using the gun that was in the bag at my feet.

"There is another bag in the back, it has an untraceable computer if you wish to use it to ease your boredom." Shane said and I glanced at him before I looked back in my car; sure enough there was a third bag there. I had to unbuckle to reach back and get it and when I sat back Shane's eyes were glaring straight ahead, his knuckles were, and his jaw was clenched in concentration.

"What's up with you?" I asked as I waited for the computer to start up. Shane didn't answer, his grip just tightened on the wheel and he swollowed thickly. "Whatever." I muttered, shaking my head and turning my full attention to the computer. "Does this thing have internet?" I asked, but he still didn't say anything. I shrugged and opened a browser anyway since it was the only way to find out now that my dear kidnapper had gone mute. Half an hour on the computer, I'd checked my facebook, googled to see if anyone noticed me gone, checked my email. I don't know how, but Shane had someone managed to restrict the computer so I couldn't chat in any way or email out, so I quickly got bored and put the computer back in the backseat. After a while of repetitive boredom I felt myself start to drift.

I was tied up, I struggled against the chains binding me to the stone. I was crying, screaming. They had taken me from Shane. Our sleep had been peaceful until Dominus had torn me from his body. They had to have been gentle when they did it because I only woke when they had cut and torn my clothes. Or perhaps there was something in the food they allowed us. I screamed for Shane to help me, to save me, as the men leered at me, all of them lining the room so there was no wall left.

"Milenia!" Three more men dragged Shane in, he was chained, bloody, struggling. But, even three men had bested, it made me think more something had tampered our food. Dominus had ordered him to be brought here, to make him watch. My blood crawled at the thought of what they would make him watch.

"Ah, Lucas." Dominus looked almost pleased as Shane fought against his chains. "Doesn't lovely Milenia here just look..."

"Stay the fuck away from her." Shane growled, his fighting renewing with vigour. Dominus looked at Shane for a minute before he came over and held out his arms, two house-slaves stepped over and removed his robes and clothes. Dominus stroked his cock and my stomach twisted. "No." Shane fought harder, chains rattling and cutting into his skin. "No, don't touch her, never." Dominus stepped closer to me and cried harder. No. Shane had been my only. Dominus kept aproaching, still stroking his cock. Shane roared and I squeezed my eyes shut. I heard fighting, but I didn't feel Dominus near me.

Shane had broken free of the men holding him and got his hands on a sword, he was swinging wildly. My tears blurred my vission as the other Gladiators sprung into action, all of them charging Shane.

"Kill them." Dominus ordered, I couldn't see him from my vantage, but I knew he was on the floor. "Kill them both." Shane swung the sword again and I saw a mans throat get cut open, blood spurting out. In the same motion Shane move and swung the sword down near my arm, letting one of the chains free.

"Run." Shane said, still fighting, the other Gladiators almost overpowering him. "Run, Milenia, quickly." I reached over and tried to free my other hand, but I couldn't, I was locked and chained. I winced as Shane was cut, but he didn't stop,, he moved around and the next thing he cut one of the chains on my leg. The other Gladiators were fighting hard, stronger, pressing him more. But, Shane refused to give up. We both noticed too late one of the men broke away from the group and advanced on me, his sword raised, blood-covered.

"MILENIA!" Shane yelled, running from the group. The man raised his sword above me. I struggled, trying to free myself from the chains faster. The men attacked Shane with his back turned.

"SHANE!" I screamed, falling out of my dream with a start. I felt the car screech and jolt as it stopped abruptly. I felt panicked and wide-eyed as I looked around; I wasn't Milenia, I wasn't in the Ludas. I was Miley. I'm Miley Stewart and I'm in a car. In a car with Shane. The same Shane from my dream. Shane looked panicked too and he was staring at me with fear and worry all over his face.

"What happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Wh-?" Shane started to ask in quick succession, he looked pale and clammy. He reached for me, his hands brushing my face almost lovingly, but I jerked away from him.

"Nightmare." I gasped out and Shane seemed to shrink in on himself when I rejected his touch. "And now thanks to you I'm bleeding." I snapped when I ralised the warmth I felt on my temple was from the jerking of the car slamming me into the window, creating a nice little spiderweb fracture where the glass had connected with my skull.

"Oh, fuck." Shane's eyes got wide and he reached for me again, but I was backed up as far as I could and I couldn't get away anymore. "Oh, fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck."

"OW!" I yelped when his fingers brushed over my bleeding temple.

"I'm sorry, Miley, I'm so sorry." He sounded panicked, pleading, begging.

"Get away from me." I said, through the haze of pain and blood I reached for the backpack at my feet. There was a first-aid in there. Shane grabbed the bag from me before I could get a grip on it and he ripped it open, grabbing the first-aid before he dropped it back. "I can do it, don't touch me." I snapped, reaching for the first-aid, but the blood was making me dizzy and nauseas.

"Stay still." Shane ordered, his voice soft. He leaned over, practically on top of me, and his hands were ghost soft on my temple. He dabbed lightly and I winced. "This is going to sting... Probably a lot." He told me before I felt him start dabbing again, with something different, something that had liquid on it. Liquid that was burning the wound and made me cry out. "Shh... It's okay." Shane soothed, blowing gently cool air on the wound. Shane applied more antiseptic before he blew on it again. I had to admit that that did make it feel better. A minute later the wound was clean and Shane carefully placed some steri-strips on it before he looked down at me. He was close, I could feel his breath on my face.

"Get off me, please." I muttered out and Shane sighed a hot breath and moved back to the drivers seat.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I thought you were hurt." He looked down.

"Yeah, and then I was." Shane reached back into the first-aid and grabbed a bottle, opening the childlock and tipping two out. He shook one of the juices we had for breakfast and held both the juice and the pills out to me. I took them without question and threw them down, washing them down with the juice.

"I really am sorry, Miley, I swear." Shane murmured lowly before he sighed and restarted the car.

"How long was I out sleeping? Where are we?" I asked, looking around, nothing looked familiar.

"A couple of hours... You were... You were dreaming you were Milenia again, weren't you?" Shane questioned softly. "You were saying Dominus."

"Thought you wanted Milenia, she was the one you fell so hard for right?" I rolled my eyes and stared out the fractured window, there were spots of blood on it, but I looked past that. I felt what she did, I was panicked, scared, I thought the Dominus was going to rape me. Me. Her. Shane kept saying I was just her reincarnated a couple of times over. The sword, the Gladiators, the churning I could still feel in my stomach. Had I just watched Milenia from her own body get murdered?

"I fall in love with the person and her Soul, not the memory of another life." Shane muttered, and I could see his reflection in the window not looking at me. There was awkward, thick silence. For a long time. I could keep snapping at him, but I don't know what that would accomplish at this point. "Would you like some lunch?" He offered softly, we were aproaching a small town.

"Whatever." I muttered and he sighed again. I just couldn't stop the last seconds of that dream, the sword, the pain. Had Milenia died from that? Was I Milenia? This was all too confusing, and my head hurt, and my life had flipped three million times in two days, I was dizzy from it all. Two days ago I took a picture of the moon and now this guy claimed to be 5000 years old and said that me being with him was the only way he could kill himself because people wanted to kill me to get to him.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom first." Shane said, pulling into the parking lot of a homely looking diner. "Please, Miley, I just want to protect you, your mother knew that, that's why she told you to call me." Shane said as he got out. I sighed and realised I needed to go to. I needed to go to the bathroom, I was hungry, he'd fixed my head. Damnit. Why did Shane have to be right about everything? I knew my Mom would never put me in danger.

Once I had finished my business in the bathroom and washed my hands I looked at myself in the mirror. No wonder I'd gotten strange looks from the people who saw that side of my face; there was blood, not as much since Shane wiped it off, but there was still smears. Three steri-strips covered the wound, but it still looked quite bad. I sighed. The second time in one day and I had blood on me. This time it was mine. I reached for some paper towels and wet them before I winced every time I dabbed around the cut, trying to wash away the blood. I blinked when I got water in my eye and I realised how close the cut was, just a centimetre to the left it would have been my eye instead of my temple.

The cut didn't look so bad without the blood there, and the painkillers were starting to kick in so at least it didn't hurt anymore. When I left the womens bathroom Shane was leaving the mens, wiping his hands on his jeans. His jeans were clean, no blood, when had he changed them? How had he changed them? The bag that had the computer in it, he must have brought a set of clothes for himself.

"Are you okay? Does it hurt too much?" Shane looked concerned, but he also looked a lot more relaxed.

"'S not so bad." I shrugged and he let out a breath of relief. "You look different." I told him, eyeing him, something was different. Shane blushed, he actually blushed, his cheeks turn pink and he got this embarassed 'awe shucks' look on his face.

"It's nothing." Shane muttered, leading me over to a booth in the diner. "Just really had to relieve some tension."

"Ew." I whispered, gross, I so didn't need to hear how badly he had to pee. But, Shane was still blushing and he wouldn't look me in the eye, and he kept his hands trategically in front of his crotch until we sat down and he was covered by the table. "Oh, my God!" I said, realising that his tension hadn't been the need to pee. "You were getting off, weren't you?" I accused, narrowing my eyes. Shane blushed a darker pink and my mouth dropped open. "Ew, you really are a perv." I wrinkled my nose.

"A hundred and thirty-five years is a long time without a date, okay, it's perfectly natural." Shane hissed back and I flushed. "Girls do it too, you know." he persisted and this time I blushed, I knew perfectly well how girls masturbated; I was a girl who had maintained being a virgin through both Jake Ryan and Jesse, I was well versed in the subject.

"Not in public bathrooms." I hissed back and he blushed again.

"They do if they have your ass in their face when you lean into the backseat." My mouth opened again and I was going to say something, but nothing came out. That's why his demeaner changed so much when I grabbed the computer, he was checking me out.

"That's it, I'm sitting in the back from now on." I decided and he sighed.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Shane said, his eyes downcast and I rolled mine. We were both silent except for placing our orders and then it was half way through eating that I spoke again.

"A hundred and thirty-five years?" I asked, cocking my head to the side curriously.

"I could never be with anyone but you." Shane replied simpply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Maybe to him it was. I'm still hazy and sceptical on this whole 5000-year-old, Soulmates thing, but still, some evidence I just couldn't deny.

"So you just... Don't? You don't date?" I furrowed my brow in thought. "You don't, you know, have... Sex?"

"I have had sex with five women in the past, each one of them with the same Soul." Shane answered and I became wide-eyed.

"Five women in five thousand years? That's like, one every thousand years. I mean, what do you do between them?" Shane's lips quirked into a half smile.

"Something I apparrently shouldn't do in public bathrooms." He replied with a small chuckle and I blushed.

"I heard it gets smaller the more you do that. Don't you ever worry there'll be nothing left for the next girl?" Shane chuckled and he shook his head.

"I could offer to show you, but I fear that would lead to more pervert accusations." I gaped at him as he casually went back to his lunch.

"Perv." I muttered under my breath and he laughed again.

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><p><strong>Just sayin', if it was me, I wouldn't give Joe the chance to be celibate for five days let alone 135 years. :P<strong>

**So, the deal right now is that I'm gonna wait a few weeks until I start on Queen Diaries, so I'm going to focus on this; so the the updates for the foreseable future will all be Eternity.**

**Please review? I love reviews :D Where's all my old reviewers at? I miss you guys, just one or two words and I'll be happy.**

**Smiler For Joe!**


	8. VII

_**CHAPTER EIGHT**_

"Oh, Sweetie, are you okay?" The waitress asked as she came to refresh our drinks and I looked up in confussion before I realised. The cut. This was my chance, I could cry kidnap, this was my chance to get away from Shane.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." I waved her off and she sighed and shot Shane an untrusting look. I sighed as well and looked down. My Mom had trusted him. And I couldn't shake the feelings from my dreams no matter how hard I tried. "Just a little cut."

"The girls in at the table over there know who you are." Shane murmured quietly, his eyes flickering over. I'd heard the excited whispers, the gossip, I'd heard them wondering if Shane was my new boyfriend. "We should go before they take a picture." He'd been watching them discreetly and I guess they hadn't so far. "Or worse." He threw a couple of bills on the tablt and got up, grabbing my hand and lightly tugging me. I saw the elderly waitress frown over at us; the teenage girls may have known who I was, but she didn't and she didn't trust Shane. I didn't trust him either, but my mother seemed to, she seemed to trust him enough to get me to lead him straight to me, and enough to tell Dad to let him take me away.

I didn't let go of Shane's hand as we tried to look casual as we hurried out to my car; my car with the spiderweb fracture on the passenger window that I'm people would notice. Luckilly they couldn't see inside because of the dark tinting on the windows otherwise that elderly waitress wouldn't be the only one with distrust. Shane waited outside my door until I was in, like he was worried I'd try and escape still.

"Can't I drive?" I whined, sitting in the passenger seat with nothing to do was boring.

"As much as I would love to appease you, you still might make a run for it." Shane denied and I rolled my eyes, I had my shot inside, I didn't take it..

_**Eternity**_

"I think we should stop for the night." Shane commented after we'd stopped for dinner and I shrugged. "Nothing to say?" He teased when I didn't say anything.

"What does it matter what I say? You do what you want anyway." I pointed out; I was trusting my Mom by not leaving when I had the chance, not him, and I still didn't forgiven him for kidnapping me in the middle of the night, or just about anything that had happened since. He sighed and looked down, looking sad.

"If I get two rooms will you leave?" Shane asked and I looked at him.

"Again, does it really matter what I say?" I raised an eyebrow. Shane walked away and when he returned he handed me a key for the motel we were parked at. I looked at the number and walked to the right door.

"Well, this is awkward." Shane muttered, there was only one bed in the room and judging from that comment he only got one room. There was no couch, and I wouldn't trust that carpet not to be infested with something. "We could share." He suggested and I glared at him. "I-I mean, we can both keep to our sides, I swear I won't touch you... Or-or even look at you if you want."

"I don't want to be on the same _continent_ as you let alone the same bed." His expression fell, like I'd just killed his puppy. "But, since I aparently have no choice in the matter, stay on your side and we won't have anymore problems." Shane grinned so happilly that it made me already regret the decission. "I'm going to shower, I think I can manage it without getting killed." I grabbed my back pack and went into the tiny bathroom; there was a shower, toilet and, and a sink with a tiny mirror. I sighed and turned the shower on full blast hot, making sure it was nice and loud before I opened the backpack and started looking through it. The money, the knife, the energy bars, the gun. "Where the Hell is my phone?" I snapped, opening the door to glare at Shane who looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "Oh, GOD!" I turned away as he scrambled to cover himself.

"Miley!" His hand touched my shoulder and I jumped away from him, glaring and blushing at the same time. "I-I thought you were showering." Shane blushed, his jeans were up and buckled, and the bulge were covered by a pillow off the bed. "I-I-"

"God, you're such a perv." I wrinkled my nose and he blushed darker, shifting uncomfortably. "And where the Hell is my phone?" I demanded again and his face set seriously, his boner momentarilly forgotten.

"They've been trying to hurt you for a thousand years, I've been protecting you for that long; I've developed with the times and so have they. They can track you with your phone and that puts you in more danger." Shane said seriously and I frowned.

"Quick question; if they want to kill me to get to you, and you're Hell bent on killing yourself, why don't you just surrender to these people and I'll be safe and you'll get to die." Shane sighed and ran a hand through his short hair.

"Because, they can't kill me; I need that dagger, a specific silver bowl, a carefully set altar, and a complicated ritual, only to be done on a full moon between your nineteenth and twentieth birthdays. Those groups would only want to kill you to hurt me, they would take great pleasure in knowing that if they failed to kill me for good that I would have to live in unimaginable agony until the day I could meet you again at which time I would know that I would have less than a year to protect you again." He explained, sinking down to sit on the bed. "And it's not them that kill you, they want to do it to hurt me, but it's the man that is reincarnated with you who is your friend that unwittingly leads you to your death."

"Oh." I didn't know what else to say.

"Your phone isn't safe, and neither is your fathers, or any of your friends." Shane said, he looked guilty as he spoke, his voice soft and rough. "I just want you to make it to twenty this time. I want you to live a long life that your Soul never got to before." I didn't know what to say, what could I say to that? I retreated back into the bathroom silently. In the bathroom I stripped and showered this time, the water long since cold and icy against my skin. The towel in the bathroom was rough against my skin and it was only about fifteen minutes until I was back out in the room. Shane was sitting on the bed, almost exactly the same except he'd stripped down to his boxer briefs and his boner was gone. God, I hoped he hadn't started masturbating when I was in the shower again. "I just need to keep you safe, Miley, I swear."

"Which side do you want?" I asked, gesturing to the bed. This would be the first time I'd ever shared a bed with someone.

"I don't care." Shane whispered back, looking up from the floor as I moved over to the right. Ten minutes later we were both laying in the darkness, neither of us asleep. In the darkness I didn't know what to do, but I did know that Shane was there, that my Mom and my Dad both trusted him with my life. I moved over and despite what I said about both of us staying on seperate sides I moved closer to his side so that my hand was touching his. Shane laced his fingers with mine, it felt good. I moved over a little more and I felt my body naturally fit against his, curling up into his side and my head fit onto his chest, with his chin against the top of my head. It felt right.

_**Eternity**_

_Monday, January 30th_

I watched Shane sleep. I'd been awake for a while now, I'd woken up completely in Shane's arms, his body warm against mine. I reached up and traced his sleeping eyes, he looked different when he was sleeping, more relaxed, it brought out his handsomeness. Shane stirred and I removed my hand, returning to just staring at him. He nuzzled against my neck as he woke up and I pulled away. I couldn't explain why I'd cuddled into him last night, I didn't like him, I didn't trust him, I still didn't feel completely safe with him. But, I'd needed someone to hold me last night. I felt right in his arms, comforted, like I belonged. But, I would never in a million years admit thhat to him. Or anyone else.

"Mmm... Baby..." Shane moaned in his sleep, reaching for me even as I moved away. I sat up with my back to him. and kept my eyes trained on a spot on the carpet as he woke up. I heard him groan and sit up and stretch. "Miley?" His voice was rough with sleep.

"Yeah?" I peaked over my shoulder; he was barechested, his muscles were just waiting to be touched and licked, and his hair was sticking up in all directions from sleep, his facial features still relaxed and soft, his eyes a light golden brown and framed perfectly by his long lashes.

"Are-how-...?" He sighed and shook his head, turning away so we were back to back. Eventually Shane sighed and got up and I turned to see him running a hand through his hair. "What would you like for breakfast?" Shane asked and I shrugged. "Okay, then... I-I'm gonna shower... Please-please don't leave?" His puppy dog eyes were even better than mine, soft, sincere, pleading. I nodded siletnly and he sighed before he went into the bahtroom. I waited until the water turned on then I laid down again, I moved over inhaled the scent still on the pillow. It was sweet and musky at the same time and I couldn't explain why iit comforted me. Before I knew it the shower was off and the bathroom door was opening, but I didn't move. Shane stood there and the steam from the bathroom flooded out, invading me with the scent of freshly showered man. He stood there for a minute, and I could feel him staring at me. "You wanna shower before we go?" He offered and I finally looked up at him, he was in a fresh pair of boxer briefs and his hair was wet and sticking up in odd directions, but other the that the only thing he was wearing was his muscles.

"No." I murmured and I forced myself to sit up. Shane sighed again and moved over, grabbing his jeans from the chair and pulling a white shirt over his head.

"We should go then." He muttered, grabbing the keys and the backpacks "I'll get us something for breakfast on the way out of town." A few minutes later and we were sitting mutely in my car, the radio on, but it was dead awkward. "Are you going to talk to me today?" Shane asked after we'd gotten breakfast and I still hadn't said more than two words to him all morning.

"What do you want me to say?" I shot back, staring out the window, avoiding looking at him.

"What about last night?" He asked and my jaw tightened.

"It was cold, I didn't want to freeze." I lied and he didn't say anything else.

"Why are you being so difficult?" He demanded almost half an hour later. "I know you feel at least something, why are you still being so distant and denying it? You know how I feel about you-"

"You don't feel anything about me; you've known me for a day; you felt something for Milenia and Aliegsha and Elizabeth and the other two, not me. You don't know me, you don't feel anything for me and I don't feel anything for you." I interrupted him, turning to glare and he frowned.

"You're not them, I don't see you as them, I see you as Miley." Shane said softly and I rolled my eyes. "I love you, you know I do, and it's not because of them; it's because you're fiery and sweet and defiant and you can fool the entire fucking world. It's because of you, Miley, your Soul. Not because of the others." He looked and sounded pained as he said that, like talking about them was causing him physicall pain.

"You've known me for a day, you don't know me, you don't love me." I hissed and he winced. "And I don't love you." He flinched at that and I turned back to glaring out the window.

"I'll let you go back home as soon as you're safe." Shane's voice cracked a little and he gulped loudly before letting out a slow breath and he was silent again.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, so I don't really like this chapter, it's just sort of a filler chapter. And in case anyone's wondering Miley being snappy and bitchy is her deffemce mechanism to keep herself from getting hurt.<strong>

**Reviews are welcomed with open arms and a big smile :D**

**Smiler For Joe!**


	9. VIII

_**CHAPTER EIGHT**_

I could feel his lips on my skin, his hands burning trails of fire everywhere they touched. I arched into his body and moaned, I could feel his lips sucking at my pulse, making me and wanting. How could he do this to me? How could he make me feel so good with only a few touches?

"Miley." He groaned, his thumbs brushing against my nipples. "My sweet Miley." His voice was husky with lust and his hands were restless on my body. I reached for him, my fingers on his hard, bronzed skin, my nails digging in.

"More." I whimpered, my hands slipping around his back and trailing down. I held his ass, pulling him flush against me. I was wet and wanting, I wanted him, I'd never wanted anything so much as I wanted him. I moved my fingers around, pushing his boxer briefs down as I did.

"Fuck!" He swore as my fingers found his hard, pulsing dick.

"Please?" I begged, I'd never begged for a touch like this before, I'd never begged for a man to touch me, I'd never begged for _anything_ like this. "Please? I need you?" I needed him so bad I thought I'd die if I didn't make love to him right this very second.

I gasped as I jolted awake to Shane shaking me gently. I looked at him with wide eyes and blushed. I rubbed my eyes and avoided looking at Shane. That had been a dream, an actual dream this time, not like the memory-like things I'd had before where it felt like I was there, where it felt like I was Milenia. Shane cleared his throat and my eyes shot to him, immediately falling to his lips; those lips that had felt so good in my dream.

"Are you okay?" Shane asked hoarsely, he was clenching his fists tightly and he was staring straight ahead.

"Yeah." I managed to get out, I felt flushed and hot. I moved slowly away, pressing myself back against the door, fighting the urge to move towards him and kiss him. "W-why'd we stop?" I asked, looking around.

"Lunch." He answered, nodding towards the diner before finally looking at me.

"Right." I licked my lips and his eyes followed the motion.

"You-you were m-." He closed his eyes and groaned slightly. "You were moaning in your sleep... N-nightmare?" Shane sounded hopeful, but I knew he knew that that dream definately wasn't a nightmare.

"We should go." I pointed out to the diner and quickly unbuckled my seatbelt and got out. When we got into the diner we both made beelines for the bathrooms. I stopped at one of the sinks and held onto the edge, looking at my reflection; I was red and flushed. I quickly splashed cold water over my face and let out a sigh. What the Hell was that? That wasn't a memory or anything like it, that had been a dream; a dream of my own minds creation. I wiped my face dry and stared at myself again, not as red. I sighed and left the bathroom, going out to the diner and finding a booth in the back out of sight of the general public. I fidgeted and reached for the menu, overlooking it as I waited for Shane. I knew what he was doing, the same thing he'd done yesterday in the bathroom. He knew I wasn't having a nightmare; I wonder if I'd talked, had I said his name? That would be more than humiliating, but I would never ask.

"Hey." Shane came over and he was blushing again, he knew that I knew that he was masturbating.

"Hey." Well, this couldn't be more awkward. half way through lunch I spoke again. "So you've seriously been exclusive with your hand for a hundred and thirty-five years?" I asked, I still couldn't get over it. I was actually starting to believe that he really was over five thousand years old, but 135 years celibate, that was downright impossible.

"The thought of anyone else does nothing for me." He shrugged and I rolled my eyes. "When I married Milenia I promised that I would never be with another woman so long as my Soul was still living. I broke that promise when I fell in love with Athena in Greece a thousand years later, but I never loved another Soul, I never made love with another Soul. I never will."

"You see her at first don't you?" I accused and he sighed and looked sad. "When you meet the next one you see Milenia."

"When I met Athena I did, I couldn't explain why she made me feel like Milenia had. But, when I knew her, when I knew Athena for her they were nothing alike, but I felt the same. I fell in love." Shane ran a hand through his hair and looked away, getting a far-off look on his face. "Our Souls are connected for Eternity, even if I had been able to die I would have found your Soul again when I was reincarnated and I would have fallen in love. Look." He pulled out his wallet and pulled out pictures. "Milenia." He placed a hand-drawn picture on the table after staring at it for a moment; the woman was beautiful, she had long dark, wavy hair, dimples, a shy smile. She didn't look anything like me. "She was... Milenia was sweet and caring, after every battle she would cradle my head in her lap, she would clean my wounds and nurse me back to health, she woul dplead with me every day not to go back to the arena." Shane swollowed thickly and I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. "Athena." A red-head with her hair flying back around her, a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. "She was a fighter, stubborn as all Hell, she wouldn't ever back down, and she would always win." He place a third picture down. "Clarice. A girl from high society, a bit of Princess to tell you the truth, it was her way or a tantrum until she got her way." He smiled a little and shook his his head slightly. "But, when it was just us she'd be completely selfless." Another picture, Lady Aliegsha. "You know about Aliegsha, I was a Knight and it was like a fairytale, she had been kidnapped by an enemy of her fathers and I saved her. A damsel in distress." His voice cracked a little and I looked at him.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked softly and he cleared his throat, looking choked.

"You thought I saw Milenia or Athena or Clarice or-"

"I get it." I cut in, I couldn't stan how pained he looked when he talked about them.

"You thought I saw them, I see the woman, I see her Soul, not a woman I loved and lost. I see the woman in front of me and right now and since the minute I met you I only saw you, Miley, not any of them." He said sincerely, almost begging me to believe him. "I love you for you."

"You don't love me, Shane." I hissed, glaring at him and stalking out to my car. Damnit. I couldn't even leave because he had my damn keys. A few minutes later Shane came out and I glared at him through the tinted window of the drivers seat. I saw his shoulders slump and he went around to the passenger side and got in.

"I'm sorry, Miley." Shane sighed, holding the keys out and I snatched them over. "But, I can't stop how I feel." I turned the radio up and he frowned. He reached over and switched it off and I glared at him. "Why won't you just let me say it? You don't have to do anything, you don't have to say anything, you don't have to feel the same way, but I can't stop what I feel."

"You don't feel anything." I snapped, tightening my grip on the steering wheel. "You've known me for one day, you don't _know_ anything about me and you don't **feel** anything for me."

"Why can't I love you?" His voice raised a little.

"Because the last guy who said he loved me cheated on me. The guy before Jesse cheated on me when he said he loved me. Because I get hurt when guys say they love me and I don't want to get hurt anymore regardless of the fact that I don't love you you're going to hurt me." I yelled back at him, screeching the car to a stop and he was silent. "Just don't say it, don't even think it."

"I'll never hurt you." Shane whispered and I sighed. "All I've ever wanted, for five thousands, is to protect you and make sure nothing and no-one can ever hurt you."

"And how did that work out?" I snapped, starting the car again and Shane descended completely into a sulking silence. I kind of felt bad, but I wasn't going to appologise.

_**Eternity**_

I looked over at Shane, we were in another motel room, this time though he made sure it had two beds. I knew Shane wasn't asleep, his breathing was soft and even, but I knew he wasn't asleep. I couldn't sleep either, I felt weird, all the way over here and him all the way over there. I sighed, Shane hadn't uttered even a word since our argument about his feelings this afternoon. I bit my lip, and got out of my bed, I couldn't explain why I tiptoed over and slipped under the covers of Shane's bed next to him. He didn't say anything as I laid down, he just wrapped his arms around me and burried his face in my hair. I held my arms over his and he held me tighter, as if I would leave.

When morning came I sighed. Why did I do it again? I'd barely slept last night, trying to figure it out, and Shanes' arms had remained tightly around me. When the sunlight started to filter through the curtains I slipped out of his hold and back over to my bed. As soon as I was gone Shane became restless in his sleep and soon enough he was awake and gasping after startling awake. He looked over at me and I looked away, his eyes were sad and he had this tiny little pout fighting to take over his lips.

"Morning." Shane eventually muttered, getting up and walking to the bathroom.

"Yeah." I sighed and fell down so I was laying, staring straight up at the ceiling. Why did I keep crawling into bed with him?

"Let's go." Shane whispered when he came out of the shower and I nodded, getting up. In the car I picked at my nail polish and stared out the window. I missed class yesterday, and again today, I had a paper due today that counted as a third of my grade. My grades are so tanked.

"I get that you may not care about education, being a few thousand years old and all, but I _did_ have school, you know, I studied hard for Stanford." I spoke the first words between us after about two hours.

"You wouldn't be able to do much studying if you were dead." Shane muttered back, he glanced at me for a second before looking back to the road. "You didn't strike me as Stanford; thought you'd be more of a Juilliard."

"Lilly and I had planned to go to Stanford together since we were thirteen." I bristled and he snorted.

"What about before Lilly made decissions for you?" Shane snapped.

"Lilly doesn't make my decissions, I do. I decided to go to Stanford."

"Right, because a girl who loves music as much as you do would give up the best music school in the country." Shane rolled his eyes and I glared at him.

"Who says I wanted to study music? I've done music since I was a kid, maybe I wanted to learn to do something different." I glared and crossed my arms.

"What are your studying?" He sounded so self-satisfied.

"Law." I mumbled, I'd tried to tell myself it was so I could better understand what I was signing when contracts were put in front of me.

"What's Lilly studying?" I remained silent and he smirked. Lilly was studying law too, if I was truthfull I only took law because Lilly was. "Right, totally your decission."

"My point is my grades are tanked now thanks to you."

"You're also alive now thanks to me." He snapped.

"If it weren't for you I wouldn't be in danger, none of the others would've either." Shane gripped the wheel tighter and stared ahead, submitting to silence. I felt guilty again, I kept bringing up people he loved who died and blaming him. He was trying to stop me from being one of those people. I sat in silence until it got too much. "I'm sorry." I whispered, looking out the window.

"You're right." He shook his head, his voice sad and I looked at him. "If I could've stayed away they'd all have lived."

"You tried to save them... Sometimes it's just their time." I sighed and reached over, his hand was on the gearstick, I took it off and held it gently. "I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry." Shane looked down at hands and squeezed mine, his skin was soft and warm against mine.

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><p><strong>Reviews are welcomed, wanted, and cared for :P<strong>

**Smiler For Joe!**


	10. IX

_**CHAPTER NINE**_

"So does this mean you're going to be nice to me?" Shane asked after a few minutes of silence and I rolled my eyes.

"No." I scoffed and his shoulders slumped when I pulled my hand back from his.

"I'll promise not to tell you I love you until you say it first." He tried to compromise and I rolled my eyes again.

"That's not going to happen, and I still won't be nice." I replied and he frowned.

"You know, most girls want a guy to tell them they love her." Shane mused.

"Most girls also aren't kidnapped by suicidal maniacs or lived six years as popstar under a wig." I pointed out

"It's not that I want to die." Shane said lowly, slowing the car at a set of lights and looking at me. "I just want you to live more." He moved his hand over and grabbed mine. "I need you to live, you're all I care about and all I've found over five thousand years is that I'm the reason you keep dieing."

"Well, I'm not planning on dieing anytime soon so you can stop worrying about that." I told him and he grinned.

"You sure I can't tell you?" Shane asked, and I knew he meant that he loved me.

"Positive." I didn't let go of his hand this time and his fingers laced together with mine. Shane started driving again when the light turned green and I settled back into my seat.

"Why do you let your friend make your decissions for you? And please don't deny it." He questioned and I sighed.

"She's my best friend and..." I shrugged a little and sighed. "She gave up a lot because of me, and college was something she always wanted us to do together."

"What did she give up? She got to travel the world, meet celebritiees, live once-in-a-lifetime opportunities." Shane raised an eyebrow. "What else did you give up for her? I heard you were supposed do a Spielberg in Paris. I don't mean to offend you, but it just sounds like you're giving up everything and she's just taking."

"Can you just drop it?" I mumbled and he sighed.

"We should be in Crowley Corners in a couple of hours, you'll need to give me directions." Shane said and I nodded mutely. I looked around, we were already in Tennessee, I thought it would take longer.

"What if the dagger isn't there? How are you going to find it?" I asked and his hand squeezed mine lightly.

"Any way possible, there's no way I'm going to fail."

"Why did you give it to my Mom in the first place?" I was currious.

"In-in case I met you and I couldn't leave you." He looked away guiltilly. "She'd be able to save you."

"I thought there had to be a ritual?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I figured a knife to the heart from the mother of the woman I love would remind me what's more important." He shrugged and I gaped at him.

"My Mom wouldn't have done that." I denied after a minute and he snorted.

"Between me and you, she'd have killed me in a heartbeat." Shane said casually, how could he talk so casually about my Mom being a murderer? "Besides, it's not like it'd kill me without the complete ritual, it'd just hurt like fucking Hell."

"Has it happened before?" I asked and he looked away. "Oh, my God, you've been stabbed in the heart?"

"Once or twice." He shrugged, "the first time was when I met Athena and we were in battle." He smiled fondly at the thought and I gagged.

"How the Hell can you think getting stabbed is romantic?" I demanded with a shudder. "Do you even feel pain?"

"Everytime you tell me not to love you." Shane replied immediateky with such intensity that I shied away. "Physically... Small cuts and such barely affect me, but... The cut the other day hurt like fuck." I reached over and traced where the scar should have been, nothing but perfect smooth skin and muscles. Dear God, the muscles.

"Can you stop saying that?" I mumbled, turning to look out the window.

"I'm sorry." Shane murmured lowly. "But, I won't stop." I sighed and so did he. "I can't stop how I feel, Miley, I've tried."

_**Eternity**_

"Just... Don't disrupt anything." I muttered after I punched in the security code on the alarm system.

"Do you know where your mother would have kept something valuable?" Shane as as I trailed my fingers over the old paint on the walls. Everytime I came back here it was a rush of memories.

"No." I shrugged and I smiled when I found myself in the kitchen, the panel on the wall that me and Jacksons heights. "I think there's a safe somewhere in my parents room, but I can't really remember." Shane stood awkwardly in the entrance hall nad I walked back out to him. "Up-upstairs." I gestured, grabbing his hand and leading him up to my parents' old room. It was still the same as when I was a little girl and I used to have nightmares and run to Mommy and Daddy for comfort. "I don't know where." I whispered, walking over to sit on the bed as Shane started to explore. I laid back and closed my eyes, I hadn't been back here in over a year, since the summer before Senior year.

"Miley?" I felt the bed dip as Shane sat down and I opened my eyes, staring at the ceiling.

"Hmm?" Shane laid down next to me, his face nuzzling into my neck and one arm draping over me protectively. I turned my head to look at him and he was sos close, his eyes were so beautiful, I felt like I could see his Soul in them and all I saw was love.

"I can't find it." Shane murmured and I sighed.

"I don't know where else to look." I shook my head slightly. Shane reached up and stroked my cheek, his fingers soft and caressing.

"Can I kiss you?" He asked softly and I kept looking in his eyes; his beautiful brown eyes. They were caramel colored, just a little bit gold at the edge, and darker in the middle like tree bark. He started to lean in and I could feel his warm breath ghosting over my face. I felt myself starting to lean closer to him as well. Our lips were millimetres apart, I could almost feel his lips on mine, I could _taste_ him. I pulled away abruptly and sat up.

"I'll go look in the basement." I said, getting up and quickly fleeing. I heard Shane sigh and a second later his footsteps followed mine.

"Miley!" He called, but I tried to ignore him. "Miley, please, at least talk to me."

"What's there to say?" I spun around and stumbled back a couple of steps, shocked to find him right behind me. "You want to find that dagger, I'm looking for it.

"You almost kissed me." I turned around quickly to hide the blush rising on my cheeks and I hurried down to the basement, flickering the light on at the top of the stairs. "Miley!"

"_You_ almost kissed **me**." I hissed at him even though I knew it wasn't true, I'd leaned in too and he knew it. "I'm gonna look over here." I gestured to a stack of boxers in a corner and Shane sighed, walking to the opposite side of the basement.

An hour later I was sitting in a stack of baby clothes, my old crib, a couple of photo albums, some of Dad's old Robby Ray merchandise. Shane was on the other side of the room, the stuff he was looking through had been put back in the boxes when he was done with them and he was now sitting on one of them dejectedly.

"Is there anywhere else it could be?" Shane asked and I looked up from the albums. They were normal ones, from when Mom and Dad were younger, it was just Mom, Dad and Jackson. Back when things were normal for the family, before I came along as the reincarnation of a girl a 5000-year-old guy kept falling in love with.

"I don't know." I shut the book and put it aside. "It's a knife, check the kitchen." I snapped and he looked shocked. I started to put everything back in the boxes.

"Why are you angry at me again?" Shane questioned and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not angry." I said evenly, getting up when everything was packed away. "I'm pissed because I have a suicidal slash homicidal maniac kidnapping me and looking for a damned knife."

"You lied the other day." Shane said in a decided voice, getting up and following me out of the basement. "You are PMS-ing."

"How much would it hurt if I pushed you down the stairs?" I turned at the top and glared down at him a couple of steps bellow me. "And how could I make it hurt more?"

"You don't have the guts." Shane replied simply and I growled slightly when he continued and up and pushed past me. What made it worse was that he was right.

"And I'm not PMS-ing, not that it's any of your business, you sexist asshole."

"Just tell me what I did wrong, if it's about the kiss you wanted it too, I know you did, I could see it in your eyes."

"What kiss? There was no kiss." I denied adamantly and he rolled his eyes. "And I didn't want it, you were on top of me."

"You leaned in too." Shane persisted, catching my wrist when I scoffed and the next thing I knew my back was against the wall and he was pressed against my. My breath flew out of me as I was stuck between a Shane and a hard place. His eyes bore into my in a way that made my heart stutter. "Tell me right now that you have absolutely no desire to kiss me and I'll just find the dagger, do the ritual and be out of your life forever." He offered, his voice dark and slightly husky. I stared into his eyes, blue on brown. I felt my breathing quicken as he got closer, his eye drooped half shut and I swollowed thickly. "Just say it and I'll stop."

I didn't say anything, I couldn't say anything.

I litterally couldn't say anything; my lips were a little preoccupied. I leaned up and closed the gap forcefully pressing my lips against his. Shane didn't waste a second, pressing me harder into the wall, his lips moving so perfectly with mine. His lips parted and his tongue darted out, swiping across my lips and asking for entrance, entrance I was quick to grant, his tongue moving into my mouth and tasting me. My hands moved to his head and threaded into his hair, pulling him closer; one of his hands on my hip, the other on my cheek, holding me gently. I kissed Shane back with as much fierceness and passion as he kissed me, our tongues battling hottly for dominance back and forth between our mouths. Shane won back dominance and he did this ting with his tongue, like he was rolling an 'r' except in my mouth, it made me melt completely against him and he pulled away, dropping his head next to mine and I could feel his breath, hot and harsh on my neck.

"Oh, my God." I gasped and he chuckled lightly, lifting his head to look at me. He brushed his thumb across my cheek tenderly and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.

"Can I tell you now?" Shane requested and I frowned. Spell broken. I pushed him off of me and he frowned too. "Miley?" He followed after me like a puppy as I walked away. I unconsciously licked my lips and tried to contain the hot flush all over my body. I leant my hands on the kitchen counter to hold me up and closed my eyes, trying to stop the feeling of his lips on mine, his tongue touching mine, his body so hottly against mine. "Miley?" Oh, God! So hard not to remember when he came up behind me and pressed against me; one hand on my hip, the other on the counter next to mine.

"Please stop?" I whimpered slightly and he sighed against the back of my neck.

"Why?" Shane asked, his voice pleading and it made me want to crumble.

"Because I don't love you and you keep saying you love me which means you're going to hurt me and I don't want to get hurt even more." Shane sighed again and his hand fell from my hip and he stepped back, the loss of his body heat immediately make me cold. "I'm only here because my Mom trusted you and you threatened to kidnap me." I was able to think more clearly without him so close.

"I'll fight for you." Shane said softly. "I won't hurt you, and I'll fight for you, whatever it takes. I know you feel something at least and I'll keep fighting for us."

"To what end?" I finally turned to face him, he looked slightly confused. "To what end? Huh? According to you either I'm going to die in the next ten months or you're going to kill yourself. What's the point in fighting if either way one of us ends up dead in less than a year?"

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><p><strong>Finally, a kiss :D<strong>

**I know the readers are there, if everyone who read could review I would apreciate it.**

**Smiler For Joe!**


	11. X

_**CHAPTER TEN**_

_I frowned as I was actually challenged. In a thousand years I had not been challenged with a sword and actually had to fight. After I had lost my precious Milenia I had put down my sword, I tried uncountable times to die, but I wouldn't; it was tha silvery liquid I had bathed in and drunk from, it kept me in suffering. Milenia had been cruelly taken from me, and I could not join her no matter how much I tried._

_But, I could not stand without sword any longer; a battle raged and an innocent child found himself in the battlefield. The boy could not be more than a toddler. Everyone else seemed oblivious, I stood from the wounded man I had been trying to help, when I could not die I vowed to be caring like Milenia. I found a sword and entered the battle, before I could reach the boy a sword crossed my path. It's owner was a greek by the uniform, but I was wearing their enemies uniform. I was not on a side, I was just there to help as Milenia would have._

"_The boy!" I tried to gesture to him, but I foolishly used my hand occupied by the sword and it was taken as a press of attack. I was quick to defend, I would not attack, I would not cause more bloodshed, I had vowed against it. Metal clashed with metal, the fighter pressed more with a grunt, I was getting further from the boy, he was now crying, but still no-one noticed. "There is a boy." I yelled over the clash of metal blades in Greek._

"_This is no fight for __**boys**__." The fighter yelled back with a snarl and I was taken aback momentarily by the femenity of the voice._

"_I mean no harm." The fighter kept pressing, but I only defended minimally as I always had, letting myself get pushed back, I only defended enough not to be injured, not enough that it would cause a rebound and hurt the other fighter. "I mean no harm." I dropped the sword and held my hands up when my back hit something solid. "There is a small boy in the battle." I tried to raise awareness, I did not care if I was struck fatally, I would welcome death without Milenia here as a reason to live, but I knew it would not come. But, I could not let the boy be hurt._

"_You will not fool me." The voice was unmistably female and she took her helmet off to bear the final strike of her sword. She had bright green eyes, flaming red hair, an arrogant smirk. But, I felt my heart betray me as I felt it leap in a way it had only done for Milenia before she dealt the final blow and drove her sword deep into my chest._

_With a pain like this I wished for death, I wished to join Milenia. The pain was unbearble as the sword seperated my skin cells, drove through my ribs, plunged into my heart. I screamed and gravity brought my body to the ground, my eyes stayed open and through bleary orbs I watched in horror as men on horses rode through the battle._

"_The boy!" I tried to say, but only screams of pain emitted my mouth. I saw the boy screaming and crying, terrified until his small frame was trampled down by a strong, barrelling horse. His screams died and no-one even noticed he was there. I could not stay conscious any longer as the woman twisted the sword in my chest and pulled it out, the pain overtaking and thrusting me intounconsciousness until my body would heal itself._

_**Eternity**_

"Is there an attic?" Shane asked after a really long, really uncomfortable silence.

"Yeah, but it's been locked since forever, we never used it." I muttered, turning back to the counter until I heard his footstep retreat. God, why did I kiss him? He really was a good kisser though... No, bad, Miley, stop. I scolded myself, shaking my head to try and get rid of the memory. Why couldn't I just tell him I didn't want to kiss him? And really, what's he playing at? He'll 'fight for us'? According to him he'll be fighting for one of us to have our heartbroken because one of us isn't going to make it to my next birthday.

"Miley!" Shane yelled and I sighed, I couldn't stop the memory; his lips on mine so soft and sweet, demanding. "Miley!" Shane ran back down and into the kitchen, I still hadn't moved. "It's here." My eyes flew open and I spun around. Shane was holding an intricately carved wooden chest with a lock on the front. "There was a safe in the attic, it was your birthday." He set the chest on the kitchen counter and I looked at it.

"Open it." I demanded, I wanted to see it, know that it was real.

"Uh..." Shane looked uneasy and he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Well, see, I couldn't open it." His cheeks turned light pink that looked kinda cute on him. Bad, Miley, he's not cute. scolded myself again.

"Then-then how do you know it's in there?" I questioned, the chest did look familiar, but I couldn't quite place why.

"I can feel it." Shane shrugged simply and I rolled my eyes.

"So, then how do we open it to kill you?" He winced at my wording but didn't say anything about it.

"Do you know where the key is?" He pushed the cover away from the lock to show me and I gasped, reaching for my neck subconsciously. "Where is it?" He persisted, he knew I knew.

"Stanford." I whispered meekly and he sighed. "My Mom gave me a necklace with a key with a heart just like that on the end." It was a normal keyhole, except there was a heart shape at the opening, I'd never understood the necklace before.

"You couldn't have mentioned this three days ago?" Shane snapped and I was slightly shocked.

"Well, I'm sorry but when you kidnapped me you never mentioned I would need it." I snapped back, stalking away. If there was one thing that could help me forget about how good a kisser he is it was when he was complete jerk.

"I didn't kidnap you, you came willingly." Shane growled lowly in frustration, following after me.

"You threatened to kidnap me." I yelled, turning and pushing him away from me. "You said if I didn't come willingly that you'd kidnap me. You cut your own freaking arm open. You cut my _head_ open."

"You know that was an accident." Shane grabbed my arms and held tightly so I couldn't get away, he was strong than me. "I never wanted to hurt you, Miley."

"Yet, you seem Hell bent on making me love you so you can kill yourself." I struggled against him and he held me tighter. I'd probably get more bruises from him, the other ones still hadn't faded.

"God, why do you have to be such a bitch?" Shane leaned down and kissed me. The second kiss we'd had in under an hour. I was too shocked not to kiss back. Our lips, our tongues, one of his hands on my ass, the other tangled into my hair, my hands on his muscled arms. I was left gasping and panting when his lips left mine and found a particularly sweet spot on my neck.

"S-" I could barely think let alone talk. "S-st-" I bit back a moan, 5000 years had definately taught him a few things about how to make a woman feel good. "Stop!" I finally managed to form a coherent word and Shane's lips froze on my neck.

"Why?" Shane's voice was soft, pleading, and he didn't lift his lips off my skin as he spoke.

"Stop." I repeated, stronger this time, letting my hands fall from his arms and I pushed against his chest.

"Please?" Shane almost whimpered, he still didn't lift his lips off my skin. "Please don't make me leave you?"

"You're the one that's Hell bent on dieing." I pointed out shakilly.

"I'm Hell bent on you living." He contradicted and I rolled my eyes, finally managing to push him away from me.

"We have the dagger, the key is at Stanford, what else do you need to kill yourself? And just so you know, once I give you that key I never want to see you again."

"A solid silver bowl, an altar and a full moon." Shane listed, he looked sad, but I tried to ignore it. "You can stay at Stanford if you want, I won't force you." He went back to the kitchen and grabbed the chest.

_**Eternity**_

_Wednesday, February 1st_

We'd stayed the night at the house in Crowley, I was in my old room, my singing furniture making smile with memories on my childhood. Shane was in the guast room, we'd barely spoken two words to each other after our fight, kiss, fight yesterday afternoon. But, I couldn't stop myself. I'd been in my old room, in my old bed, with my old singing furniture. I'd crept out of my room and over to the guast room. Shane was still awake when I climbed into the bed next to him, and thankfully he didn't say anything, he just held me. No I was awake, but Shane had woken up before me this time and I was faced with his caramel brown eyes as the first thing I saw when I woke up.

"Please, Miley?" He begged, he was holding me tightly, almost afraid to let me go. "I'll-I'll figure out a way for both of us to live. If-if you can make it to twenty then the cycle will be broken. We could go somewhere isolated, where no-one could find us and hurt you."

"Just let me go home, Shane." I whispered, avoiding his eyes.

"But-but, I love-"

"Don't say that, Shane." I interrupted, slipping out of the bed, away from Shane.

"I can figure out a way for us to be together, just give me a chance." Shane pleaded. "I figured out this ritual, I can figure out a way for us to be together."

"Wait?" I turned back to him and he looked hopefull. "You mean, you don't know this thing will work for sure?"

"It will work." Shane assured, but he didn't look that sure. "It has to." He added in a whisper "Otherwise I **am** kidnapping you and taking you somewhere no-one can get near you." Shane came over and his hands hesitantly reached for me. "Please?" His touch was only light, but I couldn't pull away, it was like he was controlling me. "Please?" He repeated softly and it's like his lips were moving in super slow motion, hypnotizing me. Before I could stop myself I was leaning up and my lips were touching his again. I couldn't explain it, why did I keep kissing him? This was the third time in two days. I couldn't stop myself, I knew I should have stopped, but I couldn't. I think I was becoming addicted. This was different from the other two kisses, they'd been hard, angry, forceful. This was soft, sweet, caressing, I felt like I was in Heaven, it felt so good. It felt so right to have his lips on mine, his hands on my body.

"Shane." A moan slipped past my lips when he kissed my neck tenderly. He smiled against my skin and my fingers threaded through his hair when he started sucking lightly. When he was finished on my neck he trailed his lips softly back to mine. He kissed me gently, coaxing me to slowly kiss back for a minute.

"Please?" Shane pulled away and my eyes were still closed and my mind still hazy.

"Okay." I agreed, letting my eyes flutter open. What did I just agree to? "Hey, no fair, you can't kiss me to agree." I frowned and he cuckled, hugging me close and burrying his face in my hair.

"I'll find a way, Miley, I swear." He promised, his voice cracking a little. "I won't lose you. Not again."

"Please stop?" I begged, "I can't, Shane, I can't like you, I only end up hurt and it might sound selfish, but I don't want to be hurt anymore."

"I won't hurt you, I'd never hurt you." Shane wouldn't let me go, almost like he was afraid I'd run any second. "I lo-" He stopped himself and looked away. "We should start heading back to California."

"I'll be nice to you." I whispered and he laughed a little.

"I'll find a way." Shane vowed, "you know." He started with a shakey laugh. "This is why I gave the dagger to your Mom, in case I couldn't let you go."

"We should go... I'm gonna shower." I stepped away, looking down.

_**Eternity**_

So far the drive out of Crowley was all kinds of awkward. I sighed and stared out the window, Shane and I had barely spoken two words since we left the house. I was fidgeting, I still didn't know why I couldn't stop myself from kissing him. Shane reached over with one hand and held mine, I didn't have it in me to pull away.

"Are you going to stay in California?" Shane asked after a while and I shrugged.

"I guess. I mean, what else could I do?" I bit my lip, he wanted me to go with him.

"You know." Shane said and I sighed.

"You want me to love you, Shane, but I don't." I couldn't look at him as I spoke. "I don't know you, I still don't trust you, and I don't love you." I looked away, away from his hurt caramel eyes. "But, I don't want you to die." Shane let out a breath and his hand held mine tighter.

"What can I do to convince you?" He begged.

"You can't convince a person to love you, Shane." I finally turned back to look at him and he was frowning deeply. "Just take me home."

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><p><strong>After this I'm going to skip the drive back to California. Thank-you guys for the reviews :D<br>I figure the I'm going to introduce flashbacks and memories of each of Miley's past lives every 10 chapters.**

**The first 10 was Milenia; in this I imagine Milenia to be played by Camilla Guaty.  
>These 10 chapters are going to focus on Athena; played by Bella Thorne.<br>And the next 10 are going to be with Clarice; played by Kaley Cuoco... After that I haven't figure out the last two yet.**

**Review please?**

**Smiler For Joe!**

**P.S: Check out my video of Joe Jonas live clips from 2004-2011 singing Please Be Mine: http: / / www. youtube. com/watch?v=PbD87d4Tgh8**


	12. XI

_**CHAPTER ELEVEN**_

"_How do you live?" I awoke with crucifiable pain in my chest. My body had not healed fully yet. "How do you live?" The voice repeated, distinctly femenin._

"_I do not wish to live." I answered truthfully, not yet opening my eyes._

"_I killed you, I drove my sword through your heart and watched you die, enemy, how do you live?" I finally allowed my eyes open with a pained groan. The woman had not been my imagination, she was hovering over me, her features feirce and glaring. Her mane of hair, red as fire was drawn back from her pale face, her green eyes sparked and angry._

"_I do not know, I only wish to die." I insisted, though as I spoke and I looked at her I found myself once more reminded of my lost Milenia; the way only she had made my heart leap in this way. "My name is Shane." Since I had left Capua after Milenia was taken from me I hadn't told anyone my real name, I never wanted another woman seperate from Milenia to pass it from her lips. And now I told this Greek warrior my true name._

"_Athena." The woman muttered back, getting up and moving away from me._

"_Athena." I repeated in a whisper with a soft smile before I immediately frowned when I realised it. I would for Eternity be true to Milenia, I reminded myself._

_**Eternity**_

_Saturday, February 4th_

Lilly wasn't in the dorm when I got back mid-afternoon on Saturday. I sighed and looked around, I knew where the necklace was, but as soon as I gave it to him Shane would leave. We'd been in such close proximity for a week; half of that had been arguing and snapping, and half of it had been begging and pleading and arguing and kissing. Dear God, the kissing. Shane followed me closely and I could feel his hand on the small of my back.

"It's over here." I whispered, walking over to my dresser where my jewellery box sat. I stood at my dresser, my hands on the jewellery box, but I didn't open it. I frowned and traced the latch on the front, when I opened it Shane would be gone. I couldn't explain the tears the sprang to my eyes at the thought of Shane leaving. "Can you stay?" I asked suddenly, not entirely sure why. "The full moon isn't for two and a half weeks, can you stay? Just a couple of days?"

"I'll hang around until I can track a clue for the bowl." Shane murmured and I let out a slow breath. Why did I want him to stay? I didn't even like him, I certainly didn't trust him... But, since that first kiss I couldn't keep my lips off of his. I opened the box and filtered through the gold and silver until I found it. A normal looking key with a Diamond encrust gold heart and then the handle of the key was attached to the chain. "Thank-you." Shane's hand closed over mine, holding the key, his body pressed against my back, smothering me with his body heat.

"Should-should we make sure it's the right one?" I questioned and I felt him nod slightly and step away, making me feel cold. Shane had brought the chest and he sat on my bed with it and I sat next to him. My bed hadn't changed at all in a week, it was still the same mess of sheets and blankets that I left it in. Shane turned the chest toward me and pushed the cover over the keyhole back. I sighed and pushed the key in, right up to pressing the heart in. I turned the key slowly and I heard the lock pop open. "Wow." I breathed and Shane picked it out of the chest. A solid silver blade, sharp and glinting. A gold handle with Rubies, Emeralds, Diamonds, other jewels.

"It's weird to hold this again." Shane murmured, turning the dagger over and over in his hands.

"That's going to kill you?" I reached for it, tracing my forefinger along the sharp blade.

"Hopefully it won't need to." He looked at me with his sad brown eyes. My finger reached the tip, sharp and pointy.

"Ow." I drew my finger back and stuck it in my mouth, the coppery blood dripping onto my tongue. Shane dropped the dagger back into the chest and shut it quickly before he tugged on my hand and pulled my finger out of my mouth, it was only a little cut. Shane brought my finger up and kissed it gently, his eyes locked on mine as he did so. Shane kissed from my bleeding finger the palm of my hand to the inside of my wrist, his lips kept moving, up my arm, over my shoulder, he paused on my neck and I moaned, letting him gently push me back so I was laying and he was on top of me. "Stop." I suddenly said when his hands started to go up my stomach, under my shirt.

"Sorry." Shane gasped against my skin, his hand coming back out o f my shirt. "I have, like, no self control."

"A hundred and thirty-five years." I muttered and he chuckled. "That long could take away anyones self control."

"I need to remember to keep it in my pants." Shane stroked my cheek and sat up. "It doesn't matter how long its been, I won't force you."

"Except to confront my unwanted feelings for you." I pointed out and he looked away sheepishly. "I don't want to feel anything for you." I said and his shoulders sunk. "I don't even like you, you infuriate me, and I don't trust you not to do something totally homicidal." Shane opened his mouth to say something, but then shrunk back and stayed silent. "But, I can't stop thinking about you, or dreaming about you-" I blushed that dream in the car on the second day hadn't been the last sex dream I'd had about him that was a creation of my own mind instead of a memory. "-and I can't explain why I love to kiss you so much, or why you make me feel so safe, or why..." I sighed and looked at my hands. "Or why the thought of you not being around me makes me sick to my stomach." The next thing I knew Shane had just about tackled me and I squeeled as he wrapped me up in a big, tight, suffocating bear hug.

"I think I just fell more in love with you than ever." He proclaimed happily and I rolled my eyes.

"Can you let me breathe now?" I requested and he quickly let me go, letting me take a couple of gasping breaths. I stroked my hand over his cheek and through his hair. "I don't know what I feel for you, Shane." I sat on my bed and looked down at my hands, over the week I'd chipped away all my nailpolish. "But..." I'd spent a week trying to get the Hell away from him, and now I'd just asked him to stay with me longer. "I kinda want to find out, so I kinda want you to come back alive." Shane went over to the door where he'd dropped the bags and he picked out the gun. I blushed and looked away, I thought he didn't know about that.

"Keep this with you at all times." He told me, pressing the metal weapon into my hands and I looked at him with wide eyes. "When I'm alive you're in danger. Please?" Shane begged, his caramel eyes wide and earnest and pleading. "I need you to live, promise me you'll protect yourself."

"I promise." I whispered and he hugged me again, though this time he let me breathe.

"Thank-you." He let out a relieved breath and I yawned making him chuckle. "Sleep." He commanded, moving the chest with the dagger in it off the bed. Shane picked up my 'Miley' necklace that I had left here (in the hopes Lilly would notice and do something) and swiftly clasped it around my neck.

"Stay?" I requested, letting him lay me down. It was only mid afternoon, but driving all the time (I'd gotten to drive more on the way back from Crowley) made me tired. I swear I slept more when I was tour than I was awake. "Please?"

"Always." Shane agreed, laying next to me, his arms around me protectively.

"How will I know if you changed the cycle or not?" I asked after a couple of minutes, my eyes closed as I stayed cuddled into his arms.

"I'll come back to you as soon as I can." Shane vowed, his lips against the back of my neck. "Keep-keep taking photos." He instructed, his on my stomach under my shirt, massaging gently, but not going up any further. "Hopefully I'll still be in them." Neither of us knew why there was an entire album full of photos of me that Shane was in the background of, but as long as he kept appearing in them then I knew he was at least alive.

"How old were you?" I wondered alloud as soon as the thought popped into my head.

"Hmm?" Shaned hummed in confussion.

"When you... Became like... This?" I didn't know what or how to say to it. "I mean, were you always able to not get hurt?"

"No." Shane sighed and held me a little tighter. "When I was a Gladiator I bought our freedom, but our former Dominus' brother wanted to prove that he had the best Gladiators and that meant beating me; he sent me off on a wild goose chase saying that I had family out of Capua that were in trouble."

"You don't have to." I said, feeling ugilty, I knew it couldn't be easy, he'd lived and from the sadness in his voice his family hadn't. Shane just nuzzled into my neck and continued.

"I did have family, but they weren't in trouble, it was a trap so Dominus Batiatus' brother could ambush Milenia. At some point I was seperated from my family on my way back to Capua. I'm still hazy on how long I was out there, all I know is I was alone and I didn't have anymore water left. When I was about to give up and just wait for death and hope that Milenia would forgive for not returning I found a spring." His voice became slightly dazed. "It was full of this silvery liquid; it was the only thing around and I was desperate to go home to Milenia. I drank from it, it made me feel so much better, I drank from it, I bathed in it, I washed my clothes in it." I turned in his arms to look at him. "It was a small spring, only the size of a small bathtub, when I left in the morning over a third of it was gone... I haven't been able to die since, no matter how hard I tried." I stroked his cheek softly and he looked at me with sad caramel eyes. "It was the Elixir of Life, able to heal any wound or sickness, just a single drop could bring you back from death. A cup full would lengthen your life by hundreds of years at least, a bowl would let you live thousands of years with Eternal youth... The amount I had..."

"Immortality." I breathed and Shane laughed bitterly.

"It's not as fun as it sounds; I had to watch them take Milenia, Athena, Clarice, Aliegsha, Elizabeth... I won't let you die, you have to live." The last part sounded begging and his voice cracked a little. "I tried to die so many times, a knife in the heart, a bullet, poison. Everything I tried I survived."

"I'm sorry." I murmured and he sighed.

"I went back to the spring, I knew the pain I was in and I didn't want anyone else to have to suffer, when I found it again though there was more gone. A whole bucket full was gone, I've tried tracking rumors of it; at first I thought it ended up in Greece, that's why I went there, that's how I met Athena." I kept stroking my hand over his cheek and through his hair, he sounded far away, stuck in his own memories. "About seven hundred and fifty years ago I found evidence of a family, a Grandfather, Mother, Father and a little girl who hadn't aged. No-one else notice though, t hey kept moving. About five hundred years ago there was a big uproar about a high society group that had been ambushed and the suposed Elixir of Life stolen from them. That's how I found out about the ritual, a way to return the Elixir to its rightfull place in the Earth, but it would kill the host person." Shane shook his head a little it seemed to bring him back to the present. "I was twenty-two when I drank the Elixir, hopefully that'll change in the next ten months."

"Hey, you're gonna live." I cooed to him softly, smiling a little and SHane looked at me sadly.

"That's what I'm afraid of; that _only_ I'll live."

"Tell you what, you've got ten months for me to fall in love with you, if we're both still alive we can go to Vegas and get married on my twentieth birthday; it'll give you something to look forward too." I leaned forward and kissed him, making him grin. "A little incentive, if you will, for both of us to still be here for my birthday."

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><p><strong>Thank-you for everyone your reviews for Age of Love.<strong>

**And please extend those reviewing fingers to this chapter :D**

**Smiler For Joe!**


	13. XII

_**CHAPTER TWELVE**_

"_There was a small boy in the battlefield, I was trying to save him." I explained to Athena once I was able to sit after my wounds had healed enough._

"_You can't die, you heal from any wound and you spend your life trying to save people instead of fighting in battle?" The fiery red-head seemed in disbelief and I sighed._

"_You would have me take innocent lives simply because mine cannot end?" I raised an eyebrow. "I vowed to help others live if I had to to keep doing so. A feat I could not accomplish for a small boy who shouldn't have been far from his mothers hold." I felt guilty, that boy, he was so young, he would forever be that young, never able to grow up, never able to live. How could someone so young be allowed to die when I could not? I certainly deserved to die a lot more for the lives I had taken in the arena, and yet the boy died instead when he had been innocent._

"_Not all lives are innocent." Athena replied sharply, picking up her sword and starting to slowly wash the blood. Some of the crimson was mine and yet I sat alive._

"_Perhaps not, but who I am to kill just because I cannot be killed?" I shot back and she gripped her sword tighter. "Why should I not use my curse to help others to live? Killing innocent men, innocent boys, does not extend my life or shorten it, it merely makes me a killer." The look on the boys face haunted me, his screams that only I seemed to hear over the battle still rang in my ears. "I will never be able to save enough lives to absolve for the ones I took, but that does not mean I will callously take more for no reason."_

"_You are no man." Athena sneered and I was taken aback. "A man would fight for his country, kill the enemy, you are no man, you should be castrated."_

"_It would simply grow back." I muttered, unable to supress the flinch at the thought. In Capua I had tried any means to die, one such means had seen me catrated and crucified. My cock still pained at the memory three centuries old. "And I not a man because I see value in others lives? Would have me not try and save the boy? Would you have me kill you in the battle? A man may be a callous killer, but a true man knows when __**not**__ to kill."_

"_It would grow back?" Of my speech, that was all she focussed on._

"_Yes. Painfully." I said shortly, unconsciously trying to move away from her sword. After I had been crucified and left for dead I had been unconscious, and then when I awake my cock was gone and the place it had been completely healed over. I had passed out from the shock again and when I awoke my cock had begun to reform. The Elixir I had drunk returned my body to its peak form it had been when I drank it, it seemed. It had taken little under a week, but my cock had healed in full painfully, even going so far as to grow bigger than it had been previously._

_I had fled Rome after that incident._

"_Let me see it." Athena demanded and I coughed for a second, shifting away a little more._

"_I would rather not heal from two excruciating pains at one time, thank-you." I protected myself and she rolled her eyes._

"_I just want to see it, I'll even lay my sword aside." She mocked me, pointedly putting her sword on the ground. "I have not had a good cock in too long, I could use a laugh." I could not explain the stab of jealousy and betrayal I felt at the thought of Athena laying with another man. I felt a need to prove myself, to prove that she should not be with another man. But, at the same time Milenia. I had sworn Milenia would be my only. Milenia. My precious Milenia. During my state of remenisce Athena had pushed away the sheet that covered me and I was left exposed._

_**Eternity**_

_Sunday, February 5th_

I hummed as I sat on the floor next to my bed. Shane was still asleep in my bed, and Lilly asleep in hers. I don't know what Lilly had thought when she saw Shane because I had been asleep at the time, but I wasn't looking forward to the confrontation. I had opened the chest with the dagger in it again and I was sitting with the blade in my hands. The blade in itself was only about eight inches long, and even though it really did look beautiful. It was going to kill. It was going to kill Shane. I held the dagger at its full length between my forefingers, how could something so small, something so beautiful end a life that had live for so long?

"Hey, Baby." I didn't realise Shane was awake until he spoke and I looked up with wide eyes, feeling like I got caught with my hand in the cookie jar.

"Hey." I whispered as he rubbed a hand through his hair and sat up, stretching.

"What're you doing?" He asked, laying down on his stomach this time across my bed so our heads were next to each other.

"Nothing." I put the dagger back and firmly relocked the chest. For some reason the thought of that blade being anywhere near Shane made my skin crawl. I tilted my head back on the bed to look at him, I don't know when, but at some point he'd stripped out of his jacket, shirt and jeans, leaving only his morning wood not so much to the imagination through his boxer briefs. His muscles moved as he did, each one ripped and so sexy it almost hurt not to touch them. Shane leaned in and kissed my throat gently, his lips forming a small smile against my skin.

"You're beautiful." He said simply, his voice so earnest and honest and sweet that it made me blush with two simple words. I smiled and nuzzled my head next to his, enjoying the feel of being so close and his scent filling me senses and making me a little dizzy.

"You wanna go get some breakfast?" I offered and he rolled onto his back and smiled at me upside down.

"Lead the way, Stanford." He grinned and I rolled my eyes, he wasn't going to let the college thing go; he'd actually tried to convince me to transfer to Juilliard on the way back to California. I stood up slowly and stretched, only just realising how long I'd been sitting there.

"I need to shower first." I said, going over to my dresser before glancing back. "You should probably shower too, and do that thing you shouldn't do in public bathrooms." I pointed out, blushing at the mere thought and Shane turned pink too, rolling back onto his stomach before he got up and just sort of stood there nervously. Lilly and I were actually one of the lucky ones, it may have taken a little pursuading and abuse of my celebrity status, but we'd gotten a dorm with a private bathroom. "Maybe you should go first, wouldn't want Lilly to wake up to something like that." I teased and he mock glared at me.

"We could always kill two birds with one stone, save some water." Shane raised his eyebrows suggestively and I blushed again, trying to ignore the rush of lust I felt at the thought. I hadn't been able to do anything about being so turned on when Shane woke me in the middle of the night last week, nor any of the other times I'd had those hot, sexy dreams about him every night since. I was begining to get very frustrated.

"Just go shower." I pointed to the bathroom and he rolled his eyes slightly, grabbing his backpack and walking over.

"These hands aren't just good with a sword, Babe." Shane murmured huskilly in my ear on his way past and I flushed and held in a whimper of want. I waited until the shower turned on before I let out a breath and started ruffling through my drawers; the clothes were easy to find, I hurriedly tossed something random on my bed before I continued searching.

"Batteries." I whimpered, I was out of batteries; batteries were an essential part of a battery opperated toy. I looked around and I felt my face light up when I saw the rechargable batteries on the table between mine and Lilly's beds. I heard a soft groan from the bathroom and bit my lip. Did he have to be so obvious about it? I quickly grabbed two and slipped them into the toy, switching it on experimentally to make sure they worked. The low vibrating hum was assentuated by another moan from Shane in the shower and I groaned, switching the toy off and slipping it between my clothes.

Ten minutes. I was sitting, waiting in agony for ten minutes whilst Shane was in the shower. I was fidgetting and nervous and so sexually frustrated. Especially knowing that he was getting himself off in there. The memories I'd had of Milenia and Shane had been very vivid, his hard muscles rippling under my touch. His erection, big, hard pulsing. His lips, gentle, soft, so talented. I took a deep breath to try and calm myself. The shower switched off and barely a minute later the door opened, once again my senses were flooded, this time freshly showered man assaulted me and I had to clench my teeth and my hands not to do something. Shane came out wearing only a towel and I bit my lip, there were only two towels in there, it was a fifty/fifty that that was my towel.

"All yours." Shane smirked at me, like he knew what I was planning to do in there... Never mind that he had just done the exact same thing... Although he only used his hands, I was going to used my little battery opperated aid. I slowly stoo and moved with as much self control until I was in the steamy bathroom. Holy Crap.

"Shane." I called, turning around and he looked back. His chest was glistening with undried water, his hair a shaggy, wet mess that looked so sexy. A single drop of water was ballance delicately on his eyelashes.

"Yeah?" He grinned at me and I gulped nervously.

"I-I'm going to need my towel." I blushed. My towel. My towel was currently the only thing on his otherwise naked body. My towel was currently touching parts of Shane I'd only touched in my dreams.

"My pleasure." Shane's voice was deep and husky and I squeezed my eyes shut, no need to tempt fate more. I was trying _not_ to jump his bones... Or rather, his boner. A few seconds later I heard him chuckle. "You can open your eyes." I did so hesitantly and let out a breath. He was teasing me. He had a fresh pair of boxer briefs on under the towel. The towel that he was currently dangling in front of me.

"Thanks." I muttered hoarsley, closing the door after me.

Twnety minutes later I exited the bathroom, flushed and slightly weak, and I was possitive Shane knew what I was doing. I hadn't exaclty been quiet. And his name hadn't exactly been absent from my mutterings. We both stood awkwardly for a minute, both of us knowing the the other had just masturbated thinking about the other. The Lilly let out a little snore and we decided to get out fo there before she woke up and we had to answer questions. I grabbed my bag and Shane held my hand as we left to go find somewhere for breakfast.

_**Eternity**_

"How are you going to find the bowl?" I questioned, looking down at my paper coffee cup and tracing a finger over the plastic sippy cup lid.

"I don't know... Maybe the Society know where it is." Shane shrugged a little and I sighed. The Society, that was one of the groups that was after Shane, I don't know why, and that's all he'd tell me, that they were the Society. And the other group was CV, I didn't even know what that stood for.

"Can't you do it without them?" worried, they wanted to hurt Shane, he shouldn't work with them.

"Well, if I can't find another way to break the cycle, someone's going to need to do the ritual for me." Shane replied and I felt my heart thud dully at the thought of not finding another way. Not finding another way meant Shane was going to do everything in his power to die. "I'd never want you to be anywhere near that."

"Promise you'll come back?" I whispered, even as the minutes ticked by it was getting harder to deny that I had feelings for him.

"I promise you're going to be twenty." Shane replied and I frowned, that wasn't saying he'd be alive.

"And we're going to be in Vegas on that night, remember?" He smiled a little and reached over the table, caressing my cheek softly. I didn't know why I'd said that I would marry him on my 20th birthday, but I couldn't take it back, my mouth wouldn't let me.

"I'm going to do everything possible to be there." Shane said and I smiled sadly, that still wasn't saying he was going to be alive. Shane took his hand back and reached behind his neck, unclasping the chain he was wearing; it was a gold chain with a gold triquetra with a circle... Like the one off _Charmed_. "It's to Love, Honor and Protect." Shane told me, his finger tracing over each point. "And the circle is for Eternity." He half smiled before he got up and moved over, reaching for me and he delicately clasped the chain around my neck. "I'm going to Love, Honor and Protect you for Eternity." He said and he kissed me softly. I held him to me and kissed him back, fighting the urge to cry. Shane started to pull away, but I held his face and kept kissing him, I wasn't ready to stop yet. "I love you." Shane was kneeling in front of me and I hugged him, I didn't want to let him go, my whole body ached (and not in the good way) at the prospect of losing Shane, it made me feel sick.

"Please don't go?" I heard myself begging into his ear, not letting him go. I could feel the hot wetness of tears on my face. "I love you." The words flew out of my mouth before I even registered it.

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><p><strong>Happy Valentines Day... Well, it was yesterday for me, but still for everyone who it's currently Valentines for I offer the previous centiment.<strong>

**Reviews for Valentines?**

**Smiler For Joe!**


	14. XIII

_**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**_

"_Hmm..." Athena mused, her face set in a somewhat unimpress expression, but her eyes gave her away; her eyes were hungry and lustfull. "Not bad I guess." She shrugged and I rolled my eyes, pulling the sheet back over me._

"_You've seen it, can you stop now?" I requested, holding the sheet tightly. If I wasn't careful Athena would get to see my cock in all its gloring._

"_I'm just having fun." Athena rolled her eyes. "I guess there is some part of you that's a man."_

"_All man." I muttered slightly breaggingly, looking away. "Now that we've established that, can I go? Like I said, I want to help people, I can't very well help from here."_

"_You're not going anywhere." Athena denied, picking up her sword again and I sighed. "I found someone who can literally live forever, I'm not letting that walk away."_

"_You don't have to _let_ me do anything." I glanced around, checking all possibilities._

"_You're not going away, I'm not letting an opportunity like this leave." The point of the sword was pressed to my chest and I sighed._

"_I'm not an opportunity to be had, I am here to help save people, not be used to your whim." I said evenly, eyeing the blade. I may not be able to die, but having a blade to the heart twice in as many days would hurt like all fuck._

_**Eternity**_

"Do you have class?" Shane asked as we were walking back to my dorm room, our fingers were laced together and we'd barely spoke since my abrupt announcement. I loved Shane. I'd said it, my mouth had spoke before my brain even knew what was happening. The thought of even trying to take it back made my heart hurt and I held tighter to Shane's hand. I'd only known him for a week, every time we argued he infurriated me, I still wasn't completely convinced he wasn't a homicidal maniac. But... Grandma Ruby always told me how she fell in love and got married in three days. My heart betrayed me and made me love Shane, and we'd already agreed to be married on my birthday.

"Yeah, but I'm not going." I denied with a shrug and Shane abruptly stopped me.

"Why?" His brow was furrowed and looked concerned. "What-what about your education?"

"I just don't feel like school for a few days." I tried to sound casual. "Maybe we should go to Malibu for a few days; I mean, less questions, it's only Dad and Lori and Blue Jeans. Plus, the stables are even seperate from the house, and a lot more secure." Okay, I scolded myself, stop trying to make it sound like a booty call. Secluded, secure... And I mean, come on, there was only one bedroom in the stables. Whatever Shane was thinking he sighed and started walking again, still holding my hand.

"I'll have your car fixed and cleaned as well." Shane said, opening my dorm door. I smiled a little, Lilly had gone to class, I sat on my bed and looked around. I'd been gone for a week, and suddenly it felt so foriegn here.

"No hurry, I've got my Merc." I shrugged and grabbed my keys, detatching the _Lexus_ key.

"Why do you have two cars?" Shane shook his head.

"I got the Mercedes for my sixteenth, but it's a little too fast and flashy for me, and the Lexus was more practical for college and going back to Malibu." I explained, tossing him the _Lexus_ key.

"You've been spoiled before, but now I think you're just too talented and naive." Shane stated and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Did you just call me spoilt?" I frowned and he chuckled.

"I called Clarice spoilt, you're actually rather practical, it's a good investment that most wouldn't have made in your position." Shane corrected and I rolled my eyes, laying back and staring up at the ceiling. I felt Shane lay next to me, his hand reaching for mine again. "You have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen." He whispered when I turned to look at him.

"I bet you say that to all the incarnations." I muttered, trying not to blush.

"No." Shane shook his head slightly, leaning closer. "Just you." I closed the gap and kissed him, letting him gently push me onto my back and move on top of me. I heard a noise in the back of my mind, but I ignored it, Shane seemed to have this power over me; once I started kissing him I couldn't stop, it was like i was addicted.

"Oh, my God!" A voice yelled and I instinctively pushed Shane off of me. "Miley?" It was Lilly, classes must have broken for lunch and Lilly had just walked on me making out with Shane.

"H-hey, Lil." I blushed and smiled embarassedly, sitting up and running a hand through my hair.

"Oh, my God, Miley, you're back." Lilly stated the obvious, running over and hugging me tightly. "What happened? Where were you? Why'd you leave?" She asked and I sighed, the questions.

"Your best friend and roommate disapears for a week and you don't call the police?" Shane spoke up, narrowing his eyes and sounding accusing.

"Who are you?" Lilly replied, furrowing her brow, looking between us.

"I am the man that could have kidnapped, raped and murdered Miley and you didn't even call the police when she was missing for a week." Shane's voice was hard and he fists were clenched at his sides in anger.

"Miley! What did he do to you?" Lilly asked, turning back to me, only now seeming to notice the healing cut on my temple.

"Nothing, I'm fine, Lilly, he's just trying to make a point and he's going to stop now." I glared lightly at Shane and he delfated a little. "Listen, Lils, I'm gonna go back to Malbu for a few days, there's some family stuff going on and I need space to think." I told her and she looked a little hurt. "Will you take notes for me?" I requested and she smiled, I still needed her, even if it was only for notes in class.

"Sure. Call me when you get there, okay?"

"Of course." I agreed, hugging her again, regardless of what Shane said she was still my best friend. I stepped away and packed my computer, phone and discreetly the gun into my backpack; it'd look a little weird if I was leaving and I promised to call and I didn't take my phone. "Love you, Lils." I smiled and she repeated the sentiment.

"If I'd known all it took to get you to love me was taking notes for you I would've done that to begin with." Shane said wryly as we walked out to my car. My poor blood-soaked, spider fractured car.

"Hey, you got what you wanted, don't complain." I rolled my eyes playfully and Shane stopped, he put the chest with the dagger in the back of the car with my backpack and pressed me against the side of the car, suddenly serious.

"You-you didn't say it just because I want you to love me, did you?" He sounded hesitant, scared.

"No." I whispered, linking my hand hands with his reassuringly. "I really do love you." It was the second time I'd said it. Twice in one day. Shane smiled happilly and kissed me, his body trapping me between him and the car, his lips soft and sweet against mine.

"You have no idea how much I love you, Miley Ray Stewart." Shane said when he pulled away, pecking my lips once, twice, he kissed me deeply again the third time.

_**Eternity**_

I sat in Blue Jeans' stall in the second barn, on a couple of stacked bales of hay. Shane was in my old room on his untraceable computer searching for clues on that silver bowl. I didn't want to be there, I didn't want to watch him look for a way to die. He said he was going to find the bowl as a just in case; just in case he couldn't find another way for both of us to be alive and break this 5000-year-old cycle.

"I don't know why, Blue." I sighed, rubbing his long nose gently. "I should hate him, I mean, he practically kidnapped me. I don't even like him, we're either kissing or arguing and that's not really a way to have a relation ship." Blue Jeans snorted and stomped his foot. "But, it's true, I shouldn't, but I do. I love him, Blue Jeans." I kissed his nosed and he neighed a little. "Awe, I love you too, Blue Jeans." I smiled, standing up. "I'll see you later, Buddy." I gave him another kiss before I went back to my room. Shane was frowning at his computer. "What's the matter?" I asked, going over and sitting next to him, laying my head on his shoulder and looking at his computer.

"It's just easier to say there's another way than is is to actually find that way." Shane let out a slow breath and kissed my temple.

"You will find it." I murmured assuredly. "And I'll help. We have to find it." We had to, or my sudden realisation of love would be for nothing; one of us would be dead and the other heartbroken in ten months. Shane closed the computer and put it on the side table before he turned back, his hands cupping my face tenderly as he leaned in to kiss me. Shane gently pressed me down and once again we were laying on my bed making out. His tongue could do things in my mouth that I couldn't even explain that made me moan with pleasure and want.

"I love you so much." Shane groaned against my lips, the fingers of one hand lacing with mine, and his other hand griping my hip tightly, almost bruisingly.

"More?" I whimpered beggingly; after a week I'd finally got the orgasm I'd been craving, but it only seemed to make me hotter, lustier, want Shane more. Shane nipped at my nack and his hand let go of mine and moved down before starting up again, his hot touch causing goosbumps against my bare skin under my top. I arched into his touch and he took that as a good sign, his hand moving up further and slipping under the cup of my bra. "Mmm... Shane..." I moaned, holding him close, my hands restless on his body, one leg over his hip. Shane's fingers expertly massaging my breeast, brushing over my nipple, making it stiff with lust and desire. Shane pulled away and I wined, earning a slight chuckle, he reached for the bottom of my top and I leant up, letting him pull it up off, tossing it to the side. I felt a little exposed, Jesse and I had had some steamy make-out sessions and a little groping, but this was more exposed; plenty of guys had seen me in a bikini, but somehow a bra felt more intimate and exposing.

"May I?" Shane asked, his voice husky and deep, his eyes dark and deep and lusty. I nodded mutely and swollowed thickly, letting him reach under me and unclasp my bra, slowly peeling it away. I selfconsciously covered my chest and looked away; once a couple of years ago Jake had gotten a bit of a nipple flash, but that was the closest anyone had ever come.

"Miley." Shane's voice was soft, caring, sweet. "Miles." He tilted my chin so I had to look at him. "You're beautiful." He kissed me, his hands tugging mine away.

"No-one's ever seen me before." I whispered, looking away again.

"Hey." Shane held my hands and moved them away, beside my head as he leaned up. "You are beautiful, Miley. Perfect." He said as he looked at me and I blushed, I could feel the blush from my cheeks down my neck and the top of my chest. "Absolutely beautiful." He kissed me gently and I melted against him. Shane's hands moved to my breasts and I moaned into his mouth. At some point when we were making out and Shane was touching my breasts his shirt came off and our bare chests pressed against each other. "We-we gotta-" Shane groaned and dropped his head down next to mine, his breath coming out in short, hot gasps against my neck. "We gotta stop, Miles." He finally managed to say and I whined and he chuckled shakilly. "No self-control, remember, Baby."

"Right." I frowned, my fingers absently massaging his scalp. "Self-control... That's important, isn't it?"

"Just a little." Shane agreed with a sigh.

"I'm sorry." I mumbled, "I know you want more."

"I just want you to be happy and alive." Shane contradicted, shaking his head slightly. "Everything else is bonus."

"How did you make me fall in love with you in a week?" I wondered and I felt him smile.

"I guess our constant fighting is good for something." He said and I laughed.

"We weren't fighting, we were arguing heatedly." I teased before I sighed. "I guess it is my Soul; I love you, yet you can infurriate me so easilly and quickly."

"It's passion, Babe." Shane grinned, lifting his head to look at me. "All the best relationships are full of passion; in love and anger."

"I guess we're in for a fiery ride then, huh?" I mused and Shane kissed me in response. We made out again until Shane pulled away again gasping. 135 years really took away his control. But, I wasn't finished, I still wanted more; I kept one hand curled over his back with my nails digging int o his should, and I let my other hand wonder.

"God..." Shane groaned when my hand moved down, tracing along the waistband of his jeans. I boldly let my hand move down further, on the outside so far. He had a noticable bulge already and I was massaging it gently. "You gotta stop, Babe, it's been too long." He had a slight whimper to his voice as I rubbed his erection. I took my hand off his boner on the outside of his jeans and he let out a sigh. I giggled and moved my hand back to his waistband, slipping under the denim and the fabric of his boxer briefs in the process. "Fuck!" Shane swore when my fingers found his hard dick. I pushed his jeans and underwear down, letting his cock free to the air and my hand. "Don't-don't... Fuck." He didn't seem to be able to form a coherent sentence. "Thin ice, Miley, thin ice." Shane gasped as I stroked his dick gently.

"Come for me, Shane." I commanded in a whisper and as if he could actually orgasm on commanded his dick pulsed in my hand and I gasped a little when his hot, thick, white sperm shot out over my stomach and hand as he unconscoiusly humped into my hand.

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><p><strong>Hehe... That last part was for everyone who was getting a little antsy waiting for sex.<strong>

**If you want me to to start on the first chapter of Queen Diaries review to me #DJDanger2012WorldTour... Tweet it too if you want to make me super ecstatic.**

**And... Happy 21st birthday to my big brother for today (February 17th).**

**Reviews :D**

**Smiler For Joe!**


	15. XIV

_**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**_

"_Have-have you ever heard of someone named Milenia?" I hesitantly asked Athena. I couldn't stop the way my heart reacted around her; I'd been with her for two weeks, she wouldn't let me leave even when I begged her to let me help the wounded. The way I was starting to feel, it was too immitative of how I felt for Milenia._

"_Who's that?" Athena asked back, cocking her head to the side._

"_You haven't heard of her?" I frowned, she felt so familiar, when I was around her it felt like I was with Milenia._

"_No." Athena confirmed and I sighed. "Why? Who is she?"_

"_The woman I love." I whispered, feeling the painful thud of my heart every time I thought of her. "You remind me of her." I don't know if that was right, Milenia and Athena were nothing alike; brunette versus red head, caramel skin versus pale white, sweet and caring versus a fiery fighter. They were polar opposites._

"_Well, I've never heard of her." Athena shrugged and I sighed. "Grab your sword; I need to keep in fighting shape whilst I'm babysitting you." I sighed and reached for the sword leaning on the side of the bed._

_"You don't have to fight, you know, and you don't need to babysit me, I've been on my own for a thousand years." Athena readied her sword and waited for me to be ready._

"_How do I know you won't leave? You're an asset to us." I rolled my eyes and waited for the press. Athena was quick and fiesty, her attack fast, her movements short and closed in, protecting her body._

"_I won't fight out there." I denied vehemently. Athena pressed forward on the attack and I easilly deflected her._

"_Fight back, you Pussy." Athena snapped and I sighed._

"_No." I refused and she growled slightly._

"_Fight. Back." She demanded, pressing harder. Shee certainly wasn't a quitter. "Fight back or I'll cut off your dick." She threatened and I winced at the mere thought. I frowned and deflected her again before I turned to the attack; our swords clashed loudly and she looked surprised when I hand he back against a wall, our swords crossed betweem us. I leaned forward and kissed her impulsively._

_**Eternity**_

"You make a really big mess." I complained and Shane laughed, collapsing next to me.

"Actually, I think you made that mess." Shane said and I blushed; he orgasms all over me and somehow I'm the one blushing. "But, I wouldn't object to it being made again... And again, and again, and again." He grinned cheekily and I swatted his chest.

"You wanna clean it up?" I raised an eyebrow at him and he made a gross face.

"What about if I return the favour?" Shane moved his arm over me and his hand was on my stomach, his fingers on my skin soft and gentle, making goosbumps errupt everywhere he touched. Shane's lips moved to my neck and I squirmed, I was already hot and bothered, I didn't need him to make it worse. His hand found my breast and his thumb brushed over my nipple.

"Shane." I whispered as he moved back on top of me.

"I'm gonna make you feel good, Baby." He promised, both his hands now on my breasts. "It's gonna be the best orgasm of your life."

"Kiss me." I demanded and he did. A week ago I was alone, pissed at practically all men, and wondering why there was a brooding man in my photo of the moon. Now I was half naked with a mostly naked man from the previously mentioned moon photo on top of me after I'd masturbated him and he was about to make me orgasm.

"Babe, how did you learn to do that to me?" Shane asked huskilly against my neck and I shook my head. I had three answers; answer one I was running on instinct. Not true. Answer two; Jake. Not good. Answer three; Jesse. Also not good. "Fuck, I'm gonna make sure you feel it too." His thumbs kept moving on my nipples as his hands massaged my breasts and his lips suckled my pulse point.

"Shane." I moaned, shuddering and quivvering suddenly underneath him. "Oh, my God!" My eyes widened and so did his when he pulled up.

"Did you just-?" He started to ask, confusion covering his handsome features.

"Yeah." I gasped out, my breathing slowly starting to regulate. Shane stared at me and I squirmed a little. "It's never happened like that before, I swear." I don't know why I felt ashamed and embarassed. Shane had just made me orgasm - only a little on, but still an orgasm - without any part of his body touching mine belllow the belt.

"That is so hot." Shane stated after a minute, kissing me again as I flushed.

"I'm sorry." I turned my head and refused to look at him, but Shane just kept kissing me, my cheek, my neck, my chest.

"Nothin' to be sorry about, Miley, it's fucking hot." His hands moved off my breasts and down my stomach, I guess he didn't seem to mind having his own semen on his hands now.

"You just think you're all that bec-" I cut myself off with a moan and I felt him smirk against my breast. His hands had finally reached my wet centre, gently spreading my legs. Shane's fingers touched my wetness, brushing over my clit and making me moan again.

"I love you." Shane breathed, one finger pushing inside my sex and his thumb pressing and moving against my clit.

"Harder." I whined, arching up into him.

"Baby, you're so tight." Shane groaned, his finger moving slowly and rubbing against that spot inside me, his thumb pressed harder against the nerves of my clit.

"More." I demanded and he started moving faster; friction, fire, passion. "Shane." I moaned, feeling myself start to quivver again, this time the feeling was so much stronger and it felt like it was barrelling into me. "Oh, God, Shane." I gasped, my nails digging into his skin as my second orgasm crashed over me with a force so great my eyes rolled into the back of my head.

"That's how I _start_ to please my woman." Shane murmured as he laid back next to me and I laughed shakilly.

"You mean you do more than that?" I asked when I got enough of my breath back.

"Hands, lips, tongue... You've held my dick, I've got tools and I know how to use 'em, Baby." Shane bragged and I blushed; his hands had just reduced me to a quivvering moaning mess, and his tongue could do things in my mouth that made me moan, let alone anywhere else.

"Someone's cocky." I smirked a little as Shane nuzzled against my neck and he laughed.

"Damn straight, Miley Ray." I felt him grin. "Beautiful." He reached under me and pulled the covers of my bed down and then over us. "I'll find a way, Miley, I'll find a way for us to be together, I can't lose you." I sighed and laid in his arms, I couldn't explain why I felt so safe and secure in his arms.

"Can-can I take a photo?" I asked soflty as Shane started brushing his fingers up and down my side, occassionally running across the side of my breast. "A real one, where you're actually here?"

"Anything you want, Baby, your wish is my command." I laughed and laced my fingers with his.

"I wish... You would kiss me." I teased and Shane pressed his lips softly against mine. I grinned against his lips and held him close. It still baffled me how a week ago I couldn't stand him and now... I still couldn't stand him half the time, but the other half I couldn't get enough of him.

"Next wish?" Shane asked, his lips still so close I could feel every word he spoke.

"Don't die?" I breathed and I felt him sigh. "I wish for both of us to be together on my birthday... Will you grant my wish."

"I'll do everything possible and not possible to grant it." Shane murmured and I sighed, that wasn't a promise. "I'll either grant your wish or die trying."

"That's what I'm afraid of." I whispered and he just kissed me again.

"I love you, Miley." He nuzzled down next to me.

"I love you." I felt him smile, he really did love hearing me say that. And I meant every sylable of it.

_**Eternity**_

_Monday, February 6th_

I woke up to Shane's lips. I'd had so many dreams that had started like this lately, but this wasn't a dream. I knew because I could actually feel his lips coaxing mine to react, his hands holding my hips tightly and his morning erection pressing against my stomach. I smiled and kissed Shane back.

"Goodmorning, Beautiful." Shane grinned, pulling back to look at me.

"Morning." I pulled him back to me, not done kissing him yet. "Really good morning." I said when I eventually let him go.

"I made us breakfast." Shane announced, sitting up and I pouted at the loss of body contact. "Though I think your father would have apreciated it if I put a shirt on before I did so." My eyes widened and I sat up, holding my sheet against my naked body.

"Daddy saw you?" I squeeked and he chuckled.

"I assured him we slept in different beds, and thankfully distracted him from coming to check on you." Shane assured and I let out a shakey breath.

"Thanks." I smiled and Shane got off my bed, going over to the dresser and bringing a tray back with covered dishes.

"Godere vostri colazione." Shane half bowed as he placed the tray in front of me and uncovered the plates with a flourish; a beautifully plates pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, breakfast sausages, and toast was on both plates.

"Thank-you." I smiled as Shane sat back down and presented me with a napkin, folded with a knife and fork inside. "What does that mean?" I asked after a paused second.

"It's Italian." Shane replied, "it means 'enjoy your breakfast'."

"How many languages can you speak?" I asked and he shrugged casually. "How many?" I persisted.

"Pretty much all of them." Shane answered sheepishly and I just rolled my eyes. He's been alive for over a thousand years, of course he could probably speak every language. "I can tell you I love you in all of them if you want."

"I'm sure I'll be fine with English." I rolled my eyes again.

"Ego diligo vos." Shane stated as I took a bite of eggs.

"Ego's got it right." I smirked.

"Cara 'ch." Shane continued and I furrowed my brow. "S'agapo." I cocked my head, he sounded very fluent. "Ich liebe sie. Mij min u. Je vous aime." I smiled, I knew that one, French. "Jeg elske jer. Io amore tu."

"Just eat, Shane." I told him before he could spout more love in languages I couldn't understand. I'd only just accepted that I love him in English and he wanted to shout it from the rooftops in fifty million different languages.

"Wanna know my favourite language?" Shane persisted to asked and I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"What?" I asked exhasperatedly and Shane grinned and leaned over, kissing me.

"I see you're fluent." Shane said cheekily when he sat back and I mock glared at him.

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><p><strong>Next is going to be Age Of Love where Shane is going to start showing his jealous side O.o<strong>

**Review please?**

**Smiler For Joe!**


	16. XV

_**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**_

"_Why do you hold back?" Athena questioned and I frowned. After the day I had kissed her I couldn't stop. I felt guilty and ashamed for cheating on Milenia, but I couldn't stop the way I was feeling for Athena. She wouldn't let me leave if I wouldn't fight, though now I suspected it had less to do with fighting. She would constantly challenge me to battle with threats of castration and other injuries if I didn't comply and it would always end the same, I would best her and kiss her. Despite the harsh words she usually used the soft moans and whimpers that escaped her when we kissed were the gentlest of sighs. "I know you want more, why hold back? You know I want it too." She looked away. Athena was a woman with a fiery, stubborn attitude who would never admit to wanting or needing a man for anything. And she had just admitted she did._

"_I am still married to Milenia, even a kiss such as what we have done is cheating on her memory." I sighed, I was cheating, I knew I was, but since that first kiss._

"_Then why do it?" Athena persisted and I sat down, dropping my sword._

"_I do not know." I put my head in my hands._

"_You know it's not cheating when she's been dead a thousand years." Athena said I jumped up and grabbed my sword again._

"_Don't speak of Milenia with such words." I growled lowly, pointing my sword straight at her heart._

"_You know it's true; Milenia is gone and you only hurt yourself by holding onto her memory." Athena pressed, she always pressed too early in our spars._

"_I vowed until death I would be faithful to Milenia, she is my Soul mate and I will not have you defile her name." I pressed the point of the sword into her chest._

"_Yet you persist to kiss me, is that not breaking your vow? You were faithfull until her death, but that has passed and you are free to love again." My sword wavered. The thought of loving again had never crossed my mind. But, my feelings for Milenia kept growing with every day, I was excited to see her everyday, my heart would beat erratically when I saw her. My heart was betraying me, making me feel things I was only supposed to feel for Milenia. "It has been a thousand years, Shane, Milenia would forgive you."_

"_You don't know what Milenia would do." I hissed, feeling defensive._

"_You can leave whenever you want." Athena turned away with a sigh._

_**Eternity**_

"What about..." Shane muttered to himself, deep in thought and I rolled my eyes, he'd been mumbling and muttering for hours. He suddenly sat up, his whole face lit up and excited. "I know how to save you." He announced and I sat up.

"Both of us?" I bit my lip, there was no point in breaking the cycle if one of us was dead.

"Kill the other one." Shane said and my eyes widened and I shrunk back from him a little. "No, no, Miles, in the cycle there's me, you, and the man that kills you. If I kill him before he accidentally kills you then you'll live, then it's... Then it's just the Society and the CV." He deflated a little and I sighed.

"And you have no problem killing an innocent man?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"To save you I'd do anything." Shane shrugged and I gaped at him.

"Even kill an innocent man who hasn't even done anything to me yet?"

"But, he will, it's his fault you die." Shane argued desperately.

"He hasn't done anything, you don't know who he is and you're just willing to kill every male in my life until you think I'm safe?" I felt myself starting to get angry. "What if it's my Dad? Or my brother? Or my best friend? You'd just kill without a second thought? Without remorse or guilt?"

"I'll do anything to keep you safe, Miley, and if that means you hate me for it then at least you'll be alive." Shane glared right back at me.

"Oh, my God, you're a psychopath." I shook my head, getting up and walking away from him.

"What? Because I don't want you to die and I'll do anything to stop it?" Shane snapped back, grabbing my wrist.

"When that anything includes murdering innocent people for no reason other than they're male and close to me, yeah." I tried to get my hand back, but he was bigger and stronger than me.

"Miley, listen to me, I just need you to be safe, do you have any idea what it's like to watch the person you love most in the universe die over and over again?" I turned and brought my knee up, connecting with his very private, now very painful, male organs.

"No. And I don't want to find out what it's like to lose someone I care about just because you think something bad is going to happen." I growled at him as he cupped his injured dick and balls and sank to the ground in pain.

"I know something is going to happen; I've watched him kill you five times already, I won't let it happen again." Shane said through the pain and I rolled my eyes.

"And I won't let you kill anyone." I ran over and grabbed the dagger off the bedside table.

"I thought you loved me?" Shane whispered, sounding broken and I faultered.

"I do." I whispered back. "But, I won't let you kill anyone I care about." I denied before turning the dagger so the blade was pointed at me.

"No." Shane breathed hoarsely, scrambling over to me. He was right, I couldn't kill him, in only a week I'd fallen in love with him, but I wouldn't let him kill anyone. "Please?"

"P-promise you won't kill anyone." I bit my lip, it was an empty threat, I couldn't do this.

"I-I promise, just don't do it, just put the dagger down, Baby, please?" Shane begged and I realised how desperate he was for me to live. I mean, I knew before he wanted me to live, but I'd never fully realised just how desperate he was.

"Swear it. Swear it on my life, Shane." I told him, my voice shaking. "Swear you won't kill anyone I care about. If they die, then so do I, swear it, Shane." I threatened and he stopped, right in front of me, tears actually sparkling in his beautiful brown eyes.

"I-I swear, Miley, just please, don't?" He begged and I dropped the dagger, letting him rip it out of my hands and throw it across the room before he just about tackled me in a hug. "I love you." Shane whispered in my ear, holding me tightly. "I love you so much, please don't scare me like that, please?"

"Don't kill anyone." I mumbled, holding him as well. "We can run away if we have to, and I'll drink the Elixir as well if I have to, but just don't kill anyone because of me."

"I swear I won't kill anyone you care about, but if someone else attacks you I won't let them hurt you." Shane murmured, and I felt tears touch my skin. He was crying. I'd made him cry, the mere thought made my heart break. "Please don't scare me like that again."

"Love you, Shane." I whispered, I didn't know what else to say. "Don't cry, Babe, I love you." I just kept repeating it, reassuring him, holding him. "I love you."

"Don't scare me." Shane murmured over and over again. "Don't scare me, Baby."

"I'm sorry." I held him as he slowly stopped crying. "I'm sorry, Babe, I love you." He started to relax in my arms.

"I'll protect you, Miley, I swear, I'll protect you, I won't let anything bad happen to you." Shane vowed and I sighed.

"Shane, I'm going to be fine, I'm sorry I did that." I soothed him, threading my fingers through his short dark hair.

"I don't know what I'd do if I lost you again." Shane shook his head and burried his face in my neck. "I can't lose you again, my heart won't take it."

"I'm not going anywhere, Shane, I promise." We stood in silence, just holding each other for a few minutes.

"So, I need to find something else to save you." Shane sighed against my neck, holding me a little tighter for a minute before he let me go. Shane picked up his computer and I went over to pick up the dagger and put it back in the chest. "Wait." Shane said, sounding weird and I turned to him after securely locking the chest. "You-you said something." He said, his brow furrowed.

"I said a lot of things, Shane." I sighed and he shook his head, his eyes were red. I'd made him cry. I still couldn't get over that, I was in love with him, all he wanted was to protect me, and I'd made him cry because of it.

"About the Elixir." I sat down next Shane and held his hand. "You-you said you'd drink the Elixir?"

"Yeah?" I didn't see the problem. "It'd mean the others wouldn't be able to kill me, we'd finally get our Eternity."

"I don't want you to have this curse, Miley, you'd be in constant danger, you'd have to watch everyone you love die and never grow old, you'd be nineteen forever." Shane shook his head and looked down. "If it weren't for you I would have gone insane thousands of years ago, everyone you meet, everyone you love, everyone you care about is going to die."

"You won't." I pointed out with a small shrug. "Besides, the Elixir is the only way you wouldn't watch me die again." Shane tensed and opened his mouth, but I continued over him. "You would have to, Shane, either I drink it or I'll grow old, you'll stay exactly the same, but I'd grow old and I'd die."

"Then, I'll figure out how to be mortal, I don't want you to have to live like this, it's not a life, it's Hell. It's pure Hell, Miley, I won't let you feel like that." Shane said, pulling the computer closer determindly and I sighed.

"How does the dagger do it?" I asked after a minute. "Why this dagger? Why not just any dagger?"

"This one's enchanted; normal ways of killing just kill the body, but when the dagger is driven into the heart it rips the Soul from the body. It doesn't kill the Soul, but unless there's another body for the Soul to inhabit just lying around it..." Shane scrunched his face up in distaste. "It ends up tearing itself apart... The the cycle is over, you'll be able to live to twenty." I felt horrified at the images in my head.

"That's it? You're Soul just gets torn apart? As if it's nothing? Do you even care?" I shook my head in disbelief.

"Of course I care, but I'll do anything for you, Miley. Anything." I pushed the computer away and moved over, straddling his lap.

"Then don't talk about ripping your Soul from your body and letting it destroy itself. Don't talk about it, don't think about it, don't _do_ it." I told him firmly, my hands on his face, making him look at me before I kissed him.

"If there's no other way then I'll do it without hesitation." Shane said when I let his lips go.

"Go riding with me." I just about demanded and Shane looked at me amused. "It's normal, nothing in my life has been normal since... Well, I'm starting to think since birth." I joked, but Shane didn't smile, he just frowned a little. "Going horse riding is normal, like a date, we could just go riding away from everyone and everything and forget about it all."

"I should warn you, I haven't been on a date in a hundred and thirty-five years so I'm a little rusty on first date etiquette." Shane said and I grinned, getting up and grabbing his hand, pulling him and dragging him out to Blue Jeans' barn.

"It's for both of us to be alive and with our Souls in tact for a second date." I told him dryly and he rolled his eyes.

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><p><strong>Howdy? Can anyone guess why I went howdy? I'll give you a hint... http: /www. oceanup. com/2012/february/26/joe-jonas-cowboy-hat-meetings == Joe's goin' cowboy again... God, I love cowboy Joe, he's such a turn-on. :P**

**I'm having a serious bit of writers block right now; I'm stuck on both this and Queen Diaries. But, the next update is going to be Age Of Love. Miley's 5 and Shane is 8 and it's Valentines day. That's on story I haven't been stuck on, I just finished 16 last night.**

**Reviews please?**

**Smiler For Cowboy Joe!**


	17. XVI

_**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**_

"_Why do you hold back?" I felt a sense of deja vu when Athena asked me that for the second time. "When we battle you hold back, is it because I am a woman?"_

"_No." I denied simply, stopping her from starting a rant, she was a very opinionated woman, one such opinion was that women should be allowed to fight the same battles as men. I actually agreed, I saw no reason for a woman not to fight._

"_Then why?" Athena demanded and I sighed._

"_It's not because you are a woman, or even because I only wish to help people." I told her, "it's because of you, I do not wish to see you hurt or injured, I do not wish to see your crimson blood shed at mine or anyone elses hand. I hold back so I don't hurt you because I'm falling in love with you." That was a lie, I had already fallen. With my memories, vows and love for Milenia I could not stop myself from loving Athena._

"_But, how am I to become a better fighter if you refuse to challenge me?" Athena shot back and I shifted uncomfortably, the truth was I didn't want her to fight. Fighting was the reason Milenia was stolen from me a thousand years ago, I had managed to find a woman I love again, I didn't want to lose her because of battles and blood again. But, I knew I couldn't tell Athena that, no matter what I said or did Athena would fight._

"_I can't help you, Athena, not after how I lost Milenia." I knew she didn't like when I mentioned Milenia, but I couldn't her to the sword as well._

"_Fine." Athena said simply and I knew it was anything but fine._

"_I can't lose you too, Athena, especially not in the same way, it would hurt too much." The mere thought tore at my heart._

"_Why do you still care about her? It's been a thousand years since she died."_

"_**Love never dies**__." I whispered, looking down._

_**Eternity**_

_Tuesday, February 7th_

"I don't understand." I spoke, I'd been watching Shane intently research for the last hour and thinking to myself.

"Hmm?" Shane asked, looking up and looking tired and a little defeated.

"The dagger rips a Soul from the body, right?" I asked and he winced, but nodded. "But, the Soul could go into another body if there was just a dead body hanging around?"

"Yeah?" Shane furrowed his brow, not seeing where I was going with it.

"Well... Why can't the Soul just go back into the body it left?" I wondered and he looked confused. "Technically you would die which would break the cycle wouldn't it? And then why couldn't your Soul just go back into your body instead of a third party dead body or tearing itself into non-existence?"

"I don't know." Shane shook his head with a sigh. "I think it's part of the enchantment."

"How do enchantments exist? I thought magic was just a myth?" I asked and Shane actually laughed at that.

"Most people think the Elixir of Life is a myth too." He pointed out with a chuckle. "There are a select few in the world that I've come across who can do real magic, if one existed now I'd ask them to help now, but for nineteen years I haven't been able to track one."

"How would magic help?" I wondered and he pushed the computer away.

"It could change the enchantment on the dagger, or if they couldn't do that, they could enchant another dagger to just take the Elixir out of me. A spell to create a replica body of mine so I could kill this one and my Soul would go into the other..." He sighed and looked away. "If all else failed a spell to break the bind of our Souls so when I die it won't hurt you."

"It would hurt me, Shane, you managed to make me love you in a week, no matter what sort of spell or enchantment anyone could come up with I would still love you and it would still hurt." I told him and he sighed and kissed my temple.

"Promise you won't cry? If it's down to me, promise you won't cry over me?" Shane looked so earnest and pleading as he said that.

"I can't do that." I denied, avoiding his eyes.

"Your tears hurt more than anything." Shane whispered, the pad of his thumb stroking my cheek as if I was crying now. "Please don't cry?"

"I won't promise that, Shane, I can't." I leaned into his touch. Shane pulled his hand away and kissed my forehead.

"Can you keep looking for me? I need to go do something." Shane requested and I frowned as he abruptly got up and left before I could say anything. I pulled the computer over and opened a _Google_. I didn't know what I was looking for, if Shane didn't know how to do it, how could I possible have any idea? He had 5000 years on me. But, despite my denial and trying to push him away Shane had made me love him and I couldn't lose him now.

I sighed as I typed in random words about the Elixir and enchantments and Souls. My mouth dropped as I looked at the top result. 'How to remove the Elixir of Life without destroying your Soul'. I clicked in hoping it wasn't a trap.

"I swore I wouldn't lay with a woman other than Milenia, I have kept my promise for a thousand years." Shane whispered and I stiffened, waiting for him to reject me. I was tough, I was stubborn, I was a fighter. But, I had let my guard down around Shane, I had let him into my heart. And now he was going to reject me. "But, I love you, Athena." He continued and my heart skipped a beat. "I wish to make love with you, to prove to you how deep my love for you runs in my veins." I turned to look at him, his brown eyes, so Soulful and wise and hurt beyond the age he looks. His eyes always trapped me. "Athena?"

"Shane." I whispered, I reached up to stroke his cheek. "I lied the day we met." I blurted out and he froze. "No, I love you, Shane, I lied... I am still a maiden." I blushed, I had told him sex was no more than to relieve stress or an act of fun. In truth I was still a maiden, I hadn't had sex before.

"Your maidenhood shall remain in tact until you are sure and with a man you choose." Shane said in a firm voice and I looked at him, he didn't even seem bothered or worried that it may not be him.

"I do not wish to be a maiden any longer, Shane, I want to be with you, I want to have sex with you." I told him and he held me tightly.

"Do not feel pressured, Athena, I only want for your happiness." Shane said and I smiled, he really was sweet.

"I am not pressured, Shane, I want to have sex with you, I want to give you my body, to show you how deep my love for your runs in my veins." I assured him, using his owns words before I kissed him. Shane gently pressed me down onto my back and I let him hover on top of me for now. Our clothes slowly peeled off and I became nervous, I had never loved a man such as I loved Shane.

_**Eternity**_

"Miley!" I felt someone shaking me as my consciousness returned. "Miley, come back to me, Babe, come on." It was Shane, Shane was calling to me. I groaned slightly and reached for my head instinctively. My head hurt. Shane let out a slow breath. "Open your eyes, Miley, let me know you're okay, open your eyes." He coaxed and I let my eyes blink open.

"What happened?" I asked, rubbing my head and Shane brought me up and just about suffocated me.

"I came in and you were passed out. What happened? Were you light headed? Did you hit your head?" Shane worried, brushing his fingers through my hair and cradling my head.

"I don't know." I relaxed against him and I could feel his heartbeat as he held me. "All I remember is..." I let my eyes drift over to the computer. "There was something on the computer, it was weird." I furrowed my brow and forced myself to sit up independently. Shane reached over and pulled the computer over, opening it and frowning. The screen was blank.

"It must be out of battery." Shane sighed and moved over to plug it in. "What did you see, Babe? It must have spooked you pretty bad for you to pass out like that."

"I-" I frowned and tried to remember, I remember looking at ti and it being uber weird, but... I couldn't remember what exactly it was. "I don't know." I sighed and rested back against Shane. "What were you doing anyway?" I wondered.

"Something that's going to take longer than I thought." Shane dismissed casually and I narrowed my eyes at him. "Nothing you need to worry about, Miley, just tying up a couple of things." I froze and turned to face him.

"What-what things? You're not... You're not getting ready to-" I couldn't say it, but he understood.

"No." He denied quickly and I let out the breath I'd been holding. "No, not that. This is something else, something you'll hopefully like."

"Now you have to tell me." I demanded and he laughed, shaking his head.

"Not this one, Baby, this is a surprise." He denied and I pouted. We were silent and he just held me for a few minutes. "So, let's find out what spooked my Beautiful." Shane said decidedly, opening the recent history on the computer. "Do you recognise anything?" He asked gently as I read through all the sites.

"No." I sighed when I reached the end of the list.

"They're all ones I went to." Shane murmured and I frowned, I know it had been something important, but I couldn't remember what or how to find it. "Do you remember anything?"

"No." I turned to face him, I needed something familiar to ease the confussion. "We need to make a booking." I said abruptly and Shane looked stunned.

"For what?" He asked.

"My birthday, we should book a room in Vegas for my birthday, so that you actually have something concrete to look forward to." I told him and he grinned. I reached over to grab the cordless off my bedside and handed it to Shane as I google which hotel. "Miley Gray." I told him with a shy smile.

"I like the sound of that." Shane mused and I blushed, it did sound good. "Miley Gray. Miley Ray Gray. All mine." He nuzzled against my neck.

"I like the sound of _that_." I told him, I'd tried fighting it, but in the end I was his. I was his Soul mate, he was my Soul mate, I couldn't not love him if I cut my heart out and burned it.

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><p><strong>I only just finished this chapter right now.<strong>

**Please review?**

**Next update is going to be Age Of Love.**

**Smiler For Joe!**


	18. XVII

_**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**_

"_Marry me." I blurted out, twirling a lock of fiery red hair between my fingers._

"_What?" Athena looked disbelieving, like it was a joke._

"_Marry me." I repeated with confidence this time. "You and me, Athena, we could get married, stop fighting, settle down, have a family."_

"_You're insane, Shane." Athena laughed and shook her head, rolling onto her side and I frowned._

"_Why?" I asked, frowning as Athena settle down to sleep. "Why not? I love you, Athena, and you love me. We could have a family." I felt excited at the thought. A baby, we could have a baby together._

"_Just sleep it off, Shane." Athena said and I frowned._

"_What about children, don't you want children, Athena?" I sat up and she sighed. "A home? A wedding?"_

"_I want to be a fighter, Shane." Athena muttered as I gaped at her. After Milenia I had never even given thought to a family, but with Athena I thought it was my second chance. "If you love me then you would support that decision."_

"_I do love you, Athena, of course I do." I said earnestly, my heart thumping painfully at the thought that she could think otherwise. "I love you, I want to have a family with you, Athena, you're my whole world."_

"_I just never wanted children, Shane, I wanted to be a fighter. I __**am**__ a fighter. not a mother."_

_**Eternity**_

I sighed as Shane's hands worked magic on my back. He was giving me a back massage and I gotta say that over 5000 years he'd really learnt what to do. I let out another sigh as his hands moved a little lower on my back and his lips touched my neck.

"You're really good at this." I mumbled and I felt him grin.

"I'm good at a lot of things, Babe." He smirked and I rolled my eyes.

"Humble too." I muttered sarcastically and he stopped massaging me and gently nudged me to turn over. "Meanie." Shane stared at me with intense brown eyes that made squirm self consciously.

"You're beautiful." He said simply and I felt myself heat up in a furrious blush. "Absolutely beautiful." He tugged at the ends of my hair lightly and smiled down at me. I reached up and snaked my hands around his neck, bringing him down to kiss me. When Shane pulled away he burried his face in my neck and I threaded my fingers through his hair and cradled him to me. "I have to go soon." He whispered and I frowned. "The full moon is coming, I can't be near you, I can't risk them hurting you." I sighed and just held him.

"Will you come back after?" I eventually asked and Shane let out a sigh against my neck. No. "When will I see you next?"

"Your birthday." Shane said and my heart thumped.

"Were you going to tell me?" I choked out and he didn't say anything. "You were just going to leave me wondering if I'd ever see you alive again?"

"Goodbye is harder when you don't know how long it's for." Shane murmured, moving off me and I sat up.

"It's not supposed to be goodbye, Shane, you're supposed to come back." I insisted and he just looked up at me. "God, you are such a jerk." I groaned, childishly turning away from him and I felt him move.

"I didn't want you to be hurt more." Shane said, his lips on my shoulder and his hands around my waist, but I pulled away from his hold.

"You don't think it would've hurt if you'd left and just didn't come back?" I snapped and he looked sad. "Don't pretend you did it for me, if you knew anything about me you would've known that that would've made it worse. You did it for you, Shane, no-one else."

"Fine, I did do it for me." Shane agreed suddenly angry. "I wasn't going to tell you because I knew you'd fight, you'd want me to come back and there are only so many goodbyes I can handle. I think one every incarnation is enough." He snapped right back and my jaw dropped.

"Sounds like you weren't planning on coming back at all." I growled and he stiffened.

"You know that's not what I meant." He groaned and I rolled my eyes.

"No, I don't, you keep saying one of us is going to die and you only want to say goodbye once so it sounds like you're running off to kill yourself, solution or not." I started to storm away to hide the tears that I knew would come.

"Fuck, Miley, I'm trying not to let _you_ die, and if takes my life then fine, but don't make this harder." Shane caught my wrist and I struggled against his grip. "I wasn't going to tell you how long because I knew you'd fight me on it and I knew I'd cave." He spun me to face him, his feastures and his voice were angry, but his eyes were desperate. "Would you rather that? Would you rather I come back and put you in more danger? Would rather I come back and you might have to watch me die?"

"I'd rather know weather or not you were alive." I finally ripped my wrist free and rubbed where he'd been holding it. "Haven't you ever heard that there's strength in numbers? Or were just so focussed on getting away from me to think that I could help?"

"Right, why don't we just get you to sing at the Society? That should get them to leave me alone." Shane yelled and I was shocked. "Or maybe get you bat your pretty eyes at the CV; why would they care about centuries old curse if _you_ ask them nicely? I'd rather you not know and have hope than be anywhere near this"

"Leave." I said lowly, pointing at the door.

"What?" Shane actually looked confused.

"You want to go so bad? Leave. And don't come back." I growled and he opened his mouth. "Ever."

"Don't be ridiculous, Miley." Shane started to say and I glared at him, walking over and opening the door.

"I'm letting you go, Shane, you can go run off and do whatever you want; I won't stop you, I won't worry, I won't _hope_ for anything." He winced as I waited by the door. "You can go do whatever the Hell you want without having to worry about me or my feelings or my life. Just go."

"No." Shane said and I opened my mouth, but he walked over to me and pushed me up against the wall before I could say anything. He kissed me feircely and I couldn't do anything but kiss him back. Shane crushed his body against mine and his lips were almost bruising. He parted his lips and and his teeth tugged lightly at my bottom lip before I granted him entrance and our tongues tangled with heat and fire and passion. After a while oxygen became a neccessity and Shane pulled away, pressing his forehead against mine.

"Y-you can't-" I gasped for breath, my chest heaving. "You can't kiss me to shut me up everytime we argue."

"Why not?" Shane smirked a little and slowly stepped away, dragging me back to my bed. "We always agree on kissing." He lightly pushed me down so I was on my back and suddenly his lips were on my neck. "You like it, I like it, we both enjoy it." He continued and I whined a little.

"Would you stop talking already?" I demanded and he chuckled.

_**Eternity**_

_Wednesday, February 8th_

"Swear you'll come back?" I asked, just about begged.

"I swear I'll try." Shane mumbled, his arms tightly holding me and his lips against my neck. "I wish I could do more."

"Me too." I whispered, trying to hold back tears.

"K-keep the gun loaded and with you at all times." Shane said and I sighed, looking at the weapon on the side table. "Do you know how to shoot?"

"Yeah, my Dad taught me when I was a kid." I replied, my fingers absently tracing the muscles on his bare chest.

"Keep it with you, please?" I felt his lips move against my skin.

"Okay." I agreed and he let out a relieved breath. "I never got my photo." I mused after a minute and I felt him grin. Shane pulled away from me and the sheet fell down to his boxers as he reached over and picked up my phone.

"Come here." He pulled me up into his lap and I giggled, turning to kiss him as he nuzzled my neck. "Smile." Shane rested his head on my shoulder. I blushed and grabbed my phone back, turning quickly to snap a picture of Shane on his own.

"You're very photogenic." I said, looking at the picture.

"So are you, Babe." Shane caught me again and I squeeled as he pushed me down on my bed and peppered me with kisses. The kisses slowed down and moved closer to my mouth until we were both breathing unevenly and his lips were milimetres away from mine. "I love you, Miley." Shane whispered, his hot breath ghosting over me as he spoke.

"I love you too, Shane." I smiled a little and he finally kissed me. "Even when we fight and you infurriate me."

"Remember that." Shane said, stroking my cheek gently. "Remember that you love me and that I love you and that everything I do is for you. Always for you." I kissed him and smiled against him.

"For us." I corrected.

"Us." Shane agreed and I heard a click and turned to see he was holding my phone.

"I wanted pictures of you, Shane, not me." I blushed, reaching for the phone, but he held it out of my reach.

"You've got nineteen years of pictures of me, I only have one your Mom gave me of when you were nine." Shane replied, taking another picture and I rolled my eyes.

"Wait. You didn't know about those pictures? But, you were right there, what about the one when I was seventeen?" I furrowed my brow and he shrugged. "It was right here, in this bed... _You_ were right here in bed with me." Shane sat up and reached for his jeans, pulling out his wallet.

"This picture and Hannah Montana are the only times I ever saw you before last week." Shane said as he pulled a photo out; it was on top of the pictures of all the others; Milenia, Athena, Clarice, Aleigsha, Elizabeth. He put my picture on top of all of them. "It reminded me everything I was fighting to save." He smiled sadly as he showed it to me, I was 9 and two front teeth were bigger than all my other teeth and I was smiling happily at the camera. I didn't remember the day or why I was so happy, but I remember that it was the weekend before my Mom disapeared.

"How come you're in all those pictures of me then?" I asked softly, feeling confused.

"I don't know." Shane shrugged again, playing with my hair. "I guess... Our Souls are so tightly connected with each other that we appear together even when we're not."

"That makes absolutely no sense." I laughed, shaking my head.

"What about anything that's happened makes any sense?" Shane shot back pointedly and I laughed again. "Now hold still." He commanded and I giggled and hid my face from the lense. "No, come on, I want my pictures." Shane teased, rolling on top of me and tickling me.

"No." I laughed, trying to fight him off, but I could either fight off his tickles or fight off the pictures, but I couldn't do both. "Stop it, Shane." I squeeled as he snapped another picture. Curse him for being bigger and stronger and only needing one hand to overpower me. At my words Shane's hands stopped and I was left heaving for breath under his strong, muscular, sexy body.

"God, you look so sexy right now." Shane murmured, his voice husky.

"View's not too bad from here, either." I grinned and he started to lean down to me. "When are you going?" I blurted out breathlessly before I could stop myself, effectively ruinning the moment. Shane dropped his head down next to mine and sighed. "How much longer do we have together?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow." He mumbled and I frowned. "The sooner I go, the sooner I'll... The sooner I might be able to come back."

"Might?" I whispered, I'd caught the fumble, he'd started to say that he would come back definately.

"I'll grant your wish, Miley." Shane whispered, lifting his head to look at me, his brown eyes sad and determind at the same time. "Or die trying."

"It's the die trying that I don't like." I said and he smiled sadly and kissed me.

"Keep taking photos." Shane commanded lightly and I nodded. "I might not understand why I'm in them when I'm not there, but keep taking them."

"What if you're not there anymore?" It was a horrifying thought, but I had to know.

"Just keep taking them, I wasn't in all of them before. Take a picture every day until your birthday and we'll meet in Vegas." He twirled a piece of my hair between his fingers.

"I'll hold you to that." I only said it on an impulse; I'd told him I'd marry him on my birthday as soon as the thought popped into my head, but now it was like a lifeline for both of us. The last hope that I had that I'd see him again after tomorrow was knonwing that he'd do anything to be there for my 20th birthday. The birthday that had alluded my Soul for 5000 years.

"I'll try and write to you." Shane decided and I looked at him hopefully. "After every full moon I'll try and write to you if it isn't too dangerous." It wasn't a promise, it even left excuse if he didn't write - it might be too dangerous or he might be dead - but it was better then the silence and worry of not knowing completely.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, guys, I'm going out of town for a few days and I won't have internet coverage so I'm doing a mass update of all 3 stories, and I want 5 reviews for each new chapter by the time I get back.<strong>

**I know I'm being demanding, but reall, I can see over 100 people reading the chapters, yet I'm only getting 2 or 3 reviews? Like I said before, I put a lot of time and effort in these stories, the least you guys could do is leave a couple of words in a review for me.**

**Smiler For Joe!**


	19. XVIII

_**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**_

"_Athena, we move out tomorrow, the enemy retreats." Persues, one of the men in Athena's batallion reported, sticking his head into the tent._

"_Thank-you, Perseus." Athena dismissed before she turned to me. "Will you move out with us?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at me._

"_I love you, Athena, I will go anywhere you go." I spoke softly, we had been distant for a couple of days, since she said she would not marry me and have children with me. But, I wouldn't let an argument seperate us, not after it had taken a thousand years for me to find love again, I wouldn't let her go._

"_And if I go into battle?" Athena asked and I paused._

"_I would follow you to the ends of the earth." I reitterated and she stared at me. "I apologise, Athena, for trying to pressure you into something you do not want. I am very sorry, please forgive me, but I would understand if you did not."_

"_I am a fighter, Shane, not a mother, but I will not hold your sexist opinions against you if you leave them when we move." She said and I sighed and nodded._

"_Thank-you." I didn't know what to say, I had to stop comparing Milenia and Athena, it wasn't fair to Athena, or my memory of Milenia._

"_Sometimes I wonder what happens in that head of yours." Athena mused after a minute of silence and I snapped back to reality to see her shaking her head in amusement, her fiery red hair flying in the process. "Then I think about it and don't want to know, you are one currious man, Shane."_

"_So, you admit I am a man?" I teased and she blushed, her cheeks almost matching her hair. "Because you usually seem under the impression that I am some sort of asexual creature." I continued and she swatted me lightly. "What? You object to that assessment? You say I am not a man for not killing, yet I know I'm not a woman, I don't possess the correct anatomy for that gender so please explain exactly what I am."_

"_Fine, I admit you are a man, Shane." Athena rolled her eyes and I grinned, I loved to see her blush, she was normally so hard and aloof, making her blush was the highlight of my day when I knew that she would only let me get to her in a way that would make her react in such a way. "A very manly man with a very manly penis."_

"_Damn straight." I smirked, pulling her towards me and reaching to release my toga._

"_In fact I think you I need to show me just how manly you are with your big manly penis." Athena's toga fell down to the ground as well as we fell back on the bed and she kissed me fiercely. Athena was fiesty, she liked to be in charge in everything she did. Including sex, and I gotta say it was sexy as fuck._

_**Eternity**_

_Thursday, February 9th_

I bit my lip, watching Shane gather his things from scattered around my room. I'd woken up this morning to Shane's lips coaxing me to consciousness before he presented me with breakfast in bed again. He said he was leaving today because the closer it got to the full moon the more danger his pressence put me in. In all honesty I didn't care about the danger, I just couldn't imagine what I'd do with my life now without him here to infurriate me. I'd spent over 19 years not even knowing he existed, and now after a week and a half I couldn't stand the thought of not having him around.

When he was finished Shane sighed and sat on the edge of my bed, I still hadn't moved since he got out of bed. I didn't want to; if I got out of bed and said goodbye it would make it all real. Shane looked down and I half smiled sadly as I recognised the brooding look on his face, the one that had been in all the pictures before we met.

"Hey." I crawled over and hugged him from behind, pressing my face against his bare, muscled back. "No brooding, I wanna see you smile." I told him selfishly. I knew it was selfish, but I didn't want what we had left of our last day for possibly 10 months to be spent with him brooding sexily. Shane shifted and I loosened my hold on him as he turned so I ended up hugging him and my face pressed to his bare, muscled chest as he hugged me back, his lips pressed against the top of my head.

"I love you, Baby." Shane whispered against my hair and I turned my head to kiss his chest before I pulled back and stroked his cheek.

"I love you too." It was inevitable that I'd fall in love with him, it was my Soul, we were too connected, my Soul was too attached to his for me not to fall for him so quickly. "For Eternity."

"Eternity." Shane repeated, almost bitterly, stroking my cheek tenderly. I looked at him and he sighed again, looking away. "We always say Eternity and I always lose you." He muttered and I leaned in and kissed his lips softly.

"You're not going to lose me this time." I promised and he half smiled. "That's the wish of yours that I'm going to grant."

"Thank-you." He whispered, still stroking my cheek with featherlight touches. "How's your head?" His fingers moved up and brushed my temple, it seemed like a lifetime ago that I'd hit my head on the window in my car.

"Fine." I brushed it off, I didn't even notice it anymore.

"Don't let anyone else drive you anywhere." Shane said suddenly, his eyes intense and serious. "Please? Just be careful and don't let anyone else drive, it could just be an accident."

"No chauffers." I joked dryly and he let out a relieved breath. "I'll be careful, Shane, I promise, I'm going to be waiting for you on my birthday." I cuddled him for a minute and he held me with a hand softly combing through my hair. "When's your birthday, Baby?"

"I haven't had a birthday in five thousand years." Shane rolled his eyes, laying us both down. "Too many candles on the cake, you see." I giggled and shook my head.

"You're a dork." I kissed his cheek and I felt him grin "But, I mean, you said you were twenty-two right? If you became mortal you'd be twenty-three, when would that be?"

"August." Shane sighed and I smiled. "Fifteenth."

"Come back for your birthday." I told him, no question or hesitation in my voice. "It'll be the first of many."

"Sure you don't want me to stay twenty-two for another year?" Shane teased and I laughed.

"I think I can handle a twenty-three-year-old boyfriend." I settled down with a contented sigh. "It'll scare all the college boys away; knowing I have a hot and sexy twenty-three-year-old boyfriend waiting in the shadows to hurt anyone who tries to touch me." I teased a little, okay, so he wouldn't be there, but it'd be nice to tell the stalker boys that he would. Shane growled a little in response and I giggled again when his hold on me tightened, he certainly was possessive. I didn't know why I found that so endearing.

"Anyone touches a hair on your gorgeous head and I'll rip their limbs off." He growled threateningly and I sat up and moved to straddle him. I smiled down at him and he had a set, determind, partially angry look on his face.

"Relax, Babe, I won't let any other boy touch me, not when I have a _man_." I grinned and kissed him slowly, my lips coaxing his to reaction before I slipped him the tongue. Shane's hands moved to my hip and my back, bringing me closer and pressing my body flush against his. He suddenly rolled us so I was on my back and he was on top of me. He pulled up and I was left looking up at him lustilly as he stared at me with his intense brown eyes. Then his lips were on mine again and his tongue was touching with mine heatedly. I moaned against him, arching my body up and he groaned, tearing his lips from mine.

"Fuck, I love you, Miley." Shane groaned, dropping his head into the crook of my neck and I massaged my fingers through his hair.

"Make love with me." I decided and his head shot up. "Make love with me, Shane, right now, before you leave, I want to give myself to you." He looked pained and dropped head again, shaking it a little and I frowned.

"Not now. I don't want you to be pressure, Baby." He murmured, his lips brushing my skin with every syllable.

"I'm not pressured, I want to make love to you, I want to give you my virginity, Shane, right now." I assured him and he sighed, his hand moving up and his fingers stroking my cheek delicately. "Why not?" I felt like crying, I felt rejected. I knew what he was doing, he was going to try and let me down gently, his body language said it all.

"Because I want it to be perfect, not frantic and desperate because I'm leaving. I want to take you out, I want to hold you in the candle-light and kiss you and make sure it doesn't hurt you." Shane whispered softly, his eyes caring, his voice gentle, his touch a sweet caress against my skin. "I will come back; for my birthday." He decided with a small, loving smile. "I'll make it absolutely perfect for you."

"You being here would make it perfect, Shane." I stuck my bottom lip out a little, I knew I was pouting, but I couldn't help it.

"Don't just have sex with me because I'm leaving, Miley, wait until you're ready, not because you think I want sex." He blushed a little and cleared his throat. "I mean, I do, I do want sex, but I want you to be happy and comfortable and absolutely positively sure even more than that. Your happiness is more important to me than anything." He stroked my cheek and tugged the ends of my hair endearingly.

"How come you always know what to say?" I asked with a sigh and he grinned and kissed me.

"Because I love you."

"Did you print the photos?" I questioned after a few silent minutes of sharing occassionaly sweet kisses.

"You look beautiful." Shane said, rolling off me and going over to the printer. "As always." He brought the pictures over and I smiled, looking at them; me and Shane kissing was a re-occuring theme in them. I had taken a couple of Shane on his own, there was one of Shane researching on his computer, and even one when he was asleep with his head resting on my breasts with a small smile on his face.

"You're so amazing." I breathed, I didn't know what else to call him; handsome was an understatement, beautiful was too girly, perfect wasn't enough.

"You're pretty damn amazing yourself, Miles." Shane kissed my unhurt temple and I felt his lips smiling. "Can I take this one?" He pulled a picture from the middle of the stack, it was one of the ones of me on my own where I was laughing because we were having camera fights over who got to take the pictures.

"Sure." I smiled, letting my fingertips trace his face gently in the photo I was holding. "It's nice to finally have a photo you were here for."

"It's nice to have an up to date photo of you." Shane grinned back teasingly and I rolled my eyes. "Though, you were an exceptionally adorably child, I have to say I prefer you now." He mused, "it'd be so very wrong to pronounce my love for a nine-year-old."

"Nineteen is so much better." I muttered dryly and he nodded, kissing me quickly. "You and me, I bet we'd have cute kids." I said thoughtfully before my eyes widened when I realised what I'd said.

"The cutest, they'd look like their mother." Shane murmured without skipping a beat and I let out a relieved breath. "I'll never run from you, Miley, I'll only sprint to protect you." He assured and I snuggled into his side.

"It just sort of came out, I wasn't even thinking about it." I mumbled, feeling embarassed.

"Perhaps, one day, if I manage to become mortal... We could start thinking about it?" Shane's voice was hesitant, but I could hear the hope in it.

"In the future." I nodded, holding onto him. "Have... Have you ever had..?" I bit my lip nervously, hoping I wouldn't say the wrong thing. "Have you ever had children before?... In the past?" I looked down and Shane sighed sadly in a way that made me cringe.

"No." He denied softly. "Milenia and I were going to start a family when-" When she was killed, I remembered that, sometimes when I had nightmares about it I could almost feel the pain, the blade, the life draining from me. Luckilly I'd wake up, but Milenia never had. "Athena didn't want children, she only wanted to be a fighter." Shane cleared his throat, he didn't like talking about how they died... Them, me, us?... I'm not entirely sure how I was supposed to refer to my past lives. I remembered Athena, I'd been having dreams of her after Milenia had died my dream memories moved onto the next life of their own accord; Athena loved to fight, she was one of the guys, out fighting for her country, for what she believed in, and she refused to be treated differently because she was a woman. "When I met Clarice I realised that no matter what happened, I would live and I would watch Clarice die, and I would eventually watch our child die and I couldn't do that." Shane choked up and I hugged him tightly, showing him I was here, and so was he, he wasn't back in the past with all the pain. "When I'm mortal." He repeated firmly, holding me tightly and kissing the top of my head lovingly.

* * *

><p><strong>I think I might have given some of you false hope with A-Z of Sex. It's just a series of disconnected one-shots that have nothing to do with each other except for the reoccuring theme of sex. And it's not a daily update one, it's just something to fill my horny quota every once in a while when I get inspiration.<strong>

**Also, it's recently been brought to my attention that a huge injustice is happening. -2015 is an amazing writer, I love her story 'If I Trust You' and if any of you out that haven't heard of it, go read it, and if you have read it keep reading it. But, most importantly REVIEW! Reviews are important to us as writers, they tell us what people like, what we need to improve, and they just make us feel good as well. So go read If I Trust You and make sure you review because it is an amazing story and we're lucky to have it available to us.**

**Smiler For Joe!**


	20. XIX

_**CHAPTER NINETEEN**_

"_Sword up, Shane!" Athena yelled, throwing a blade at me quickly. The enemy hadn't retreated like Perseus said yesterday, they were attacking the camp now. I caught the sword mid-air and held it at the ready as I followed her out. I may not like killing, but I would kill a million men to keep Athena safe._

_Outside the tent was a bloodbath already and it hadn't even been a minute since the attack. I gripped my sword tighter and ran after the blaze of red hair that I loved as Athena sprinted into the battle. I swung my sword with fluid, ancient motions as the enemy pressed, I didn't care what the fight was for, I wouldn't let them hurt Athena, not after I'd managed to find a woman I love just as much as Milenia... Maybe even more. Thinking that made me feel like I was betraying Milenia, but I couldn't stop the way my heart controlled me._

_I didn't waste time on bodily wounds, I had never experienced it (thankfully) but I don't imagine anyone could heal from a severed head, Elixir of Life or not. I moved quickly, I could take off three heads in one swift, fluid motion if I positioned everything just right, Heads were quite literally rolling as I hurried after Athena as she battled._

"_Drop your weapon." I threatened lowly when I saw one of the enemy, going for a cheap shot when Athena's back was to him. I pressed my blade firmly into the back of his neck and his sword clattered to the ground. "Your mistake was Athena." I hissed in his ear before drawing my sword across, letting his head fall as his body collapsed. "ATHENA!" I yelled, following after her; I knew she was perfectly capable of fighting on her own, and certainly without my help, but I couldn't help myself as I ran after her. I had to make sure; I had already lost Milenia, I couldn't bear to lose Athena too._

"_Behind you!" Athena screamed, panic in her fiery green eyes, but I was already turning with my sword raised. Once the man was dead I ran over to Athena and looked deep into her eyes, she let out a relieved breath and I brushed a piece of her flaming hair behind her ear._

"_Do not worry for me, Athena." I moved around her protectively and took down another man. "Nothing can happen to me, remember that." I ducked when I saw he grip on her sword tighten and a man dropped behind me. "Fight, Athena, but do not worry for me, it will only hindre you." We spun at the same time and with identical swipes of our swords we each killed one of the enemy._

_**Eternity**_

"August fifteenth?" I questioned and he let out a short laugh.

"August fifteenth; I'll be five thousand and twenty-three..." He tangled his fingers through my hair. "If you bring a cake just use number candles or the thing will collapse." He grinned and I swatted his chest lightly in reprimand. "I see, I'm leaving for six months, possibly you'll never see me again and you think violence is the answer?" Shane joked and I felt the mood drop a little; he may not come back, he insisted he was going to find a way to be mortal, but if he thought I was in too much danger or that he wouldn't make it in the ten months until my 20th birthday he would... He'd sperated his Soul from his body and let it tear itself apart looking for another body.

"Well, why change our relationship now? I've always been physical with you, violent sounds so harsh." I tried to keep the mood light and he cracked a grin. "Five thousand and twenty-three? Really?" I cocked my head to the side and he shrugged.

"I have kept track; it's been five thousand years exactly on June fourth that I drank the Elixir." Shane said matter-of-factly and I gaped at him. "I do rather think I'm aging well." I scoffed at that and he grinned again.

"You're a dork." I told him and he hugged me in response.

"But, you love me." Shane stated and I giggled.

"Yeah." I sighed, resting my head on his chest and listening to his heartbeat. "I do."

"Good. Because I love you too." He swept me off my feet and we both fell on my bed. "And I'd hate for this relationship to be one-sided, not as fun kissing you if you don't kiss back." He mused, his lips trailing across my neck and I giggled. "You're making this way too hard for me to leave today." I sighed as his lips hovered over my pulse point.

"Then don't." I pouted and he sighed as well.

"Babe..." His bottom lip puckered out a little of its own accord.

"I know; you have to go, it's for us." I sat up a little, leaning back on my elbows. Shane leaned up, his strong,muscled arms on either side of me as he kissed me quickly. "Come meet my Dad?" I requested suddenly and he raised an amused eyebrow.

"Babe, we've already met, he let me kidnap you to Tennessee, remember?" I rolled my eyes and slipped out from under him, finding my bathrobe. "Hey, now that's just unnecessary." Shane admonished, attempting to pull my bathrobe back off me so I'd be left in my bra and panties again.

"No, it's completely necessary when we're going into the main house where my father and brother are." I shot back, tieing the knot around my waist as he whined. "Now get dressed, Baby."

"Never." Shane denied childishly, jumping up and standing proudly in his boxer briefs in the middle of my room with a half hard boner and his muscles rippling and so seductive.

"'Hi, Daddy and Jackson, this half naked man with the boner is my boyfriend who I've been sharing a bed with for the last week and a half'... How does that sound?" I mocked and Shane quickly cleared his throat and stood up properly, looking for his jeans. "Bathroom first, Shaney, I wasn't joking about the boner." I teased and he blushed and looked down.

"You wanna help?" Shane offered and I blushed this time. "We can do it together, you give me hand and I'll give a very pleasurable hand." His voice turned husky as he stepped right up to me and his hands fell to my hips and pulled me flush against him so I could feel his boner. "Hand, fingers, lips... You'll love it, Baby." Shane seduced and I whined, my hands moving around his neck and pulling him down to kiss me.

"Now. Before I change my mind and make you meet my Dad like this." I agreed and Shane grinned, drragging me to the private bathroom. As soon as I was in the spacious tiled room Shane shut the door and pressed me back against it, kissing me hungrilly. His hands pulled at my bathrobe and slipped it off my shoulders before they moved down my back to the clasp of my bra.

"Shower." Shane stumbled backwards and I followed after him, my hands moving into his boxer briefs as he started the water. I squeeled when he picked me up and my bare back hit the cold tiles; trapped between the tiles and Shane's hot body it was like polar opposites. My hand dropped down between us I found his erection, now completely hard and pulsing in my grip. "Fuck." Shane swore, one hand on my hip, one on the wall next to my head and I stroked his dick with long, slow movements.

"Oh, God." I moaned, my head falling onto Shane's shoulder when his hand moved under mine to my hot wet sex. He fingered my clit at first, each touch sending sparks of electricity through my body and my grip on his cock tightened, making him groan in my ear. "So good." I whimpered a little when he pushed two fingers inside of me. We kept going like that, pleasuring each other in my shower under the hot spray of water.

"Fuck." Shane moaned, starting to hump my hand a little. "Wait." He lifted his head and pulled away. I pouted and he chuckled and kissed me. "I want to do something, Baby."

"I wanna do something too, Babe, and I was doing it, no need to stop." I whined and he kissed me again before he gently unwraped my legs from around him.

"I promise you're gonna love it." Shane grinned and I felt my eyes widen when he dropped to his knees in the spacious shower.

"Shane, I don't think-" I started, but he ignored me, nudging my legs apart and nuzzling in between them.

_**Eternity**_

I giggled, holding Shane's arms around me as we walked into the main house, still connected. Our shower had taken a little longer than we expected and despite Shane's whines I wanted him to meet my Dad as my official boyfriend now instead of the guy who appeared in photos of me and practically kidnapped me then turned up again a week later half naked in his kitchen.

"Well, good afternoon, there, Mile." Dad spoke dryly when we entered through the back door that led to the kitchen and I looked up at him, he didn't look all that happy. Shane cleared his throat and stood up straight, disentangling his arms from around me. "Shane." Dad nodded curtly at hima nd I frowned.

"Sir." Shane nodded back and I gaped, since when did Shane call anyone sir?

"Hey, Miles, have a nice shower?" Jackson teased from the couch, I guess he was taking a break from playing video games to watch TV. Rico had gotten him a job as a video game tester; he got to do what he really loved, sit around playing games and being lazy, and he got paid to do it. I blushed, I guess I hadn't been nearly as quiet as I hoped. No wonder Dad was so grumpy, no man wants to think of his little girl like that, let alone have to hear it. "The neighbours called; they thought someone was being killed." He continued and I flushed a darker red.

"She doesn't sound like that." Shane blurted out and we all turned to stare at him. "Sorry." He mumbled, running a hand through his wet dark locks and looking down. "You don't though."

"I think you've said enough, Boy." Dad glared and we all descended into an awkward silence.

"So I guess this is a bad time to say Shane and I are dating?" I asked nervously after a couple of the awkwardest minutes of my life.

"I'd hope he was after what I heard." Jackson scoffed and I hit him upside the head whilst trying not to blush harder.

"I won't allow it, Miley." Dad denied and I gaped at him. "I won't allow you to date that-that... Man." I could tell he wanted to say something worse, but stopped himself.

"Why not?" I demanded as Shane sighed "I love him, Dad, and you can't stop me."

"He's a predator, Miley, just look at what he made you do." Daad glared and I glared right back.

"Shane didn't make me do anything I didn't want to, and he's not a predator, he's a very sweet man who loves me and who I love." I snapped, stepping back into Shane and he rested a comforting hand on the small of my back where my Dad couldn't see.

"Don't let him fool you, Mile, do you know how many women he's had sex with? You're just another one to him, you don't matter to him." Dad insisted and I rolled my eyes.

"Five." I said and he looked confused. "He's had sex with five women in the past, all of them whom he loved. And not that it's any of your business, but we haven't had sex. Shane is an amazing person, Dad, and he's not using me, he's not fooling me, and he does love me." I insisted fiercely and I felt Shane's hands on my hips, holding me in place when I went to step closer to my Dad in anger.

"Calm down, Babe." Shane's voice was soft and soothing.

"Don't you touch my daughter." Dad growled threateningly and I crossed my arms.

"I'm nineteen, Dad, you can't tell me who I can and can't date."

"That boy is trouble, a week and a half ago you thought he was a kidnapping murderer." Dad accused.

"Woah, what?" Jackson spoke up, looking scandalised and I rolled my eyes. The thing is, I couldn't even say he was exagerating because it was ture; I did think he was a homocidal kidnapper. "What's going on? Who is this guy? Who'd he kill?" Jackson was usually an asshat, but there were the times when he was a protective big brother.

"He's my Soul mate." I cut Dad off before he could say anything. "And you know he wouldn't hurt me, Mom trusted him, why don't you?"

"He knew Mom?" Jackson's blue eyes became wide and I sighed.

"We got some 'splainin' to do." I muttered, going over to the couch in the living room. "Dad, come sit down." I commanded as Shane sat next to me and his hand moved to my thigh.

"Get your hands off my daughter." Dad glared at Shane and I frowned when he did what Dad told him to.

"Go get the photo album for me, Baby?" I requested softly and he nodded, jumping up and running out to the barn. "Jackson, there's a lot you don't know about me. About my life..." I let out a breath. "About my past."

"Your past?" Jackson scoffed disbelievingly. "Miles, I've known you your whole life, I'm pretty sure I know your past." Shane came back with the photo album full of pictures that he was in.

"You know about _this_ life..." I began to both Dad and Jackson's confused looks. Shane was leaving me today and this is not how I want to spend our last day together until who knows when. But, Dad and Jackson had to know, they had to know why I was in danger, they had to know why Mom had trusted Shane enough to practically kidnap me, they had to know why I was so in love with Shane.

* * *

><p><strong>Come on, guys, really it's not that hard to give me 5 reviews considering the number of hits each chapter gets.<br>I know it sounds like I'm demanding and whiney, but it's really not that hard to type even just a couple of words to placate me.  
>And I'm sorry, but I refuse to update any of my stories until they all get at least 5 reviews for the last chapters.<strong>

**Smiler For Joe!**


	21. XX

_**CHAPTER TWENTY**_

_I bitterly threw the pebble across the lake. It was a beautiful lake in England by a wide open feild full of wild flowers. Milenia wouuld love it here; the space, the peace, the beauty. Athena wouldn't know what to do, she'd want to be in the town with the men, plotting some sort of battle or fight._

_Me? I wanted to be able to go into the lake and not come out alive. But, considering I had been alive for 2754 years and died several times and I was still alive, that wasn't going to happen._

"_I don't know what that lake did to you, but I'm sure it doesn't deserve having rocks thrown at it." A feminine voice spoke and I spun, I had been too caught up in my thoughts, in my depression, to notice the beautiful woman on horseback aproach. In over 2700 years I had learned to be constantly aware of my surroundings, but I had been too at ease, to wrapped up in myself to be aware. It was a mistake that could get me tortured in some times and places. Not killed, I would technically die, but I would always come back and that was the torture._

"_Sorry." I mumbled, getting up and dusting myself off. "Nice horse." I muttered on my way past, but she stopped my from leaving with a small, warm hand on my wrist._

"_I want to know why you're abusing my lake, and you're not leaving until you either tell me or go fetch every rock you threw." The woman said demandingly._

"_Fine, whatever." I rolled my eyes, turning and stripping my shirt and pants off, diving gracefully into the lake and swimming down. To be honest, neither of us had any way of knowing which rocks were because of me so I just swam to the middle and grabbed a handfull of pebbles and rocks. "Here." I threw the stones on the ground when I walked out of the lake and grabbed my clothes, pulling them roughly on my wet body._

"_I wanted you to tell me why you were brooding." The woman pouted and just kept walking. "Hey, come back, I order you." I just kept walking and she let out aggrivated sounds before she stomped after me. "Stop, this is my lake, I can have you beheaded for being on my land." I stopped, in over two and a half thousand years I hadn't been beheaded, I'm pretty sure that that's something that I wouldn't heal from. I may have regrown my dick two and a half thousand years ago, but I'm possitive I wouldn't regrow my head._

"_What do you want?" I growled lowly, turning and I finally got a good look at the woman. She had a cute little pout, blonde hair and big hazel green eyes. "Sorry." I mumbled for the second time, embarassed at my own behaviour. I felt my heart jump at the sight of her and I felt horrified. The same feeling I had had when I met Milenia, and when I met Athena. The exact same feeling; my heart was stuttering, my palms were sweaty, my mouth was dry. It felt like the love I felt for Milenia and Athena crashed together in one and blindsided me. She was a beautiful woman with slightly tanned, flawless skin, and I could see generous curves under the fabric of her dress._

"_That's better." The woman said with an air of superiority and a triumphant grin. "Now. What are you doing on my land?" In truth I had been drawn to the beautiful field overlooking the crystaline lake, I didn't know why, all I knew was I had to be here._

"_I didn't know it was your land." I spoke my answer and she huffed._

"_I cannot stand here and talk to a beggar when you look like that." She wrinkled her nose and I felt affronted, I could afford many riches and spoils, but I was here today in an old, dirty pair of pants and a ripped, dirty white top. Both of which were now wet from my imprompt swim in the lake. "Come back to the manor and dress properly, then you can explain why I shouldn't have you beheaded for being on my land." I rolled my eyes at her back when she turned from me, back to her white stallion. "Are you going to help me up or not?" She huffed and I hurried over to give her a hand in mounting her steed. "Your manners need work, now follow me." The woman said, starting to ride her horse at a slow walk back through the field._

_**Eternity**_

"Love, Honor, and Protect." Shane whispered, fingering the pendant he'd given me the other. "For Eternity." He kissed me gently, cupping my cheek and cradling my body against his.

"Eternity." I repeated with a sad smile when he pulled away. "I'm gonna hold you to that."

"I love you." He pressed a lingering kiss on my forehead. I closed my eyes, savouring the feel of Shane still being close to me, of me still knowing where he was, of still being in his arms. I felt him release me slowly and I squeezed my eyes shut, I didn't want to see him walk away. By the time I opened my eyes Shane was out of sight and I felt empty without him. It was odd, I'd spent over 19 years not even knowing he existed and now in less than two weeks I never wanted to let him out of my sight.

"Miley, I'm not accepting this Elixir of Life nonsense." Dad said when I closed the door.

"Just drop it, Dad." I sighed, sinking down to sit on the floor with my back to the door. I'd explained everything to Dad and Jackson about, the Soul connection, and me being re-incarnated, and Shane being 5000 years old. Shane had even cut his arm open again despite my protest and Dad still didn't believe him. "Mom trustted him, I trust him, why can't you?"

"I don't know what he did to brainwash, but you have to realise he's only using you, Miley." Dad shook his head and I groaned.

"Fine, you don't want to trust your wife, who talked to Shane when he was exactly the same ten years ago, and your daughter who has the memories of knowing him in past lives, then fine." I stood up and brushed imaginary dirt off myself. "But, I'm not going to hang around anymore to convince you." I walked through to the back door and slammed it on my way out.

"You always trusted Miley before, Dad, why not now?" I heard Jackson say through the open window as I went back to the barn. Back in my room I looked around and I saw Shane in the last couple of days we'd spent here; fighting in the middle of the room, brooding on Lilly's old bed, kissing me against the door, researching at the desk, being hot and steamy together on the bed. I squeazed my eyes shut to try and block the memories out. I'd only known Shane less than two weeks and he'd already taken over my life.

I moved over and laid down on my bed, inhaling the musky, sexy scent Shane left on them and hoping I would get to see him again. If I got my way he'd find a way to be mortal and we could be together, and grow old together and neither of us would have to leave ever again. If Shane got his way I'd make it to my 20th birthday... But, he might not. That was what scared me, that'd he'd do anything - even kill himself - to make sure I'd live.

I couldn't stay here, the memories of the last couple of days and the thought that I may never get to see Shane's handsome face again was suffocating. I jumped up and grabbed my backpack, throwing random things in it, getting ready to leave, to go back to Stanford. School would be a nice distraction for me. I paused when I reached the nightstand next to my bed; the gun. Shane had just about begged me to keep it with me at all times. I slipped the gun into the back and pushed it down to the bottom.

That's when I had the idea; when I was younger I had a bodyguard, up until I was sixteen when Dad felt that I was smart enough to go out as Hannah alone without needing a chaperone every time. I don't know why Dad let her go, I loved Roxy, she was part of the family. She was also the best bodyguard in the world; good enough to be in the Secret Service to protect the President of the United States. I picked up my phone and dialled her old number, I hoped it was still her number, I hoped she would answer.

"Roxy?" I asked nervously when the line picked up.

"Miley?" Roxy's family voice filtered through the speaker and I smiled. "Is that you, Sugar?"

"It's me, Roxy." I confirmed, biting my lip. I know Shane said to always be cautious and not trust anybody, but that was because of the unkown third part of the reincarnation cycle. But, that was always a man, Roxy wasn't a man, and Roxy would protect me from anything and anyone. "Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to... If you wanted get together?... Maybe-maybe talk about coming back?" I felt nervous, Dad usually handled all the Hannah stuff or anything business related, I was just a kid back then and I had school and a whole normal life to deal with as well, it was just easier to let Dad do it all.

"Just say when and where, Baby Girl." Roxy agreed and I grinned.

"How 'bout tomorrow?" I suggested happily.

_**Eternity**_

"Servents, clean this hoodlum up and make him presentable enough for tea." I ordered, walking into the manor and waving Shane off to a group of maids. "And someone draw me a bath, it is very hot out." I demanded, walking up the stairs to my quarters as the maids hurried into a flurry of activity at my words.

"Clarice!" Father called right when I was getting out of my relaxing bath.

"Yes, Father?" I called back, allowing my hand-maid to slip my robe over me and I tied it as I pattered out of the bathroom.

"Why is there a man in the tea room?" Father asked with a raised eyebrow and I sighed.

"He was tresspassing at my lake and I refused to talk to him the way he was so I had him cleaned and dressed for tea." I explained and Father nodded as if this was a regular occurance. "Join us?" I offered lightly.

"Of course, Dear." Father agreed with a smile, stepping forward and kissing my forehead. An hour later Father and the stranger man both rose when I entered the tea room as gentlemen should and the strange man even held me chair out for me. "What is your name?" Father asked of the man when he took his seat and without the distraction of his ratty clothes and dirty features I was struck with how handsome the man was.

"Shane, Sir." The man answered with a slight bow of his head that made his hair fall in his light brown eyes, "Shane Gray."

"Ah." Father smiled and I frowned, feeling like I was missing something. "Yes, I heard you were new in town, rather wealthy too, I believe?"

"Yes, Sir." Shane confirmed and I scrutinised him.

"Then, what could possibly possess you to tresspass on my lake?" I demanded, if this man really was wealthy then he would certainly be able to afford his own lake to throw rocks in.

"I appologise, Miss, I did not know it was your lake." Shane said humbly and I frowned at him. "I just saw it and was struck by the beauty of it."

"Yes, it is a beautiful lake, is it not?" Father agreed, buttering a scone. "Of course, everything pales in beautu compared to my Clarice."

"A beautiful woman if I ever have seen one." Shane nodded, his cheeks coloring lightly in a way that endeared him.

"Flattery will get you nowhere." I sniffed in indignation.

"Flattery was not my intent, Miss, it was simply the truth." Shane Gray replied and I narrowed my eyes at him. "You are an exceptionally beautiful woman." I felt my cheeks heat up and color at the compliment. However true I knew it to be, it was still flattering to hear from someone new every now and then.

"Why were you dressed like a beggar if you are wealthy? Surely you can afford propper clothes." I was determind that this man not have an excuse for everything.

"I did not wish to unnecessarily soil my clothes for a simple stroll, especially when I did not want to draw unwanted attention to myself." Shane explained and I huffed.

"Why did you not want attention?" Father asked curriously and I perked up when Shane looked uneasy.

"I have suffered a great loss and I only wanted to mourn alone."

"What loss?" I demanded to know.

"Now, now, Clarice, the man doesn't have to say." Father reprimanded me lightly and I frowned at him.

"He was throwing rocks in my lake, Father, he was damaging its beauty, the least he could do is say why." I whined at him and he sighed in the way I knew meant I was getting my way.

"The woman I was courting died, a lovely woman by the name of Athena." The Shane man provided with a sad sigh. "I came to this town for a fresh start, but it was proving harder than I expected."

"How did she die?" I wondered curriously.

"She was killed, the town we were in was under attack, and when I had my back turned to protect her from oncoming assault a friend who had no control over his sword took her life from her." Shane looked down at his untouched scone and sighed. "With all due respect, Sir, Miss." He bowed his head at both Father and myself. "I would like to take my leave now."

"Do feel free to visit should you get lonely." Father offered as Shane made a hastey retreat.

"Hmm." I sipped my tea. "A rather currious accent, don't you think? Where is he from?"

"I do not know." Father answered, tasting his scone. "Lord Aroot simply said he was from abroad." Father provided and I frowned again. I didn't like not knowing things. "Rather sad of him to lose his betrothed like that."

"I suppose, but really, what was she doing out if they were under attack? I would hope he would take better care of a woman." I said haughtilly and Father sighed.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, I literally just finished writing this right now :)<strong>

**Hope you like it :)**

**Smiler For Joe!**


	22. XXI

_**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**_

_Milenia, Athena, Clarice. They were all different women by far, yet I could not help but feel a connection between the three; Milenia, my first love, my Soul mate, sweet, kind, caring, nurturing. Athena, my second love, my Soul mate, fierce, fiery, outspoken and harsh. Clarice, I had only met her yesterday, but I could feel it there, the attraction, the need to be with her, to protect her, to love her. My very Soul was attached to all three, like a binding thread, it was not gravity holding me to Earth, but hold these three women - each over a thousan years apart from each other - had on my heart, on my Soul._

_Which is why I had selected the most pure and perfect flowers from my greenhouse to present to Clarice in appology for tresspassing at her lake yesterday. Clarice, she was not like Milenia or Athena, she knew what she wanted, and she knew how to get it. The term to use was spoilt, anything she wanted her Father gave her, every whim she had was catered to by a staff of maids and servents. Yet, here I was, knocking on the front door of her manor and waiting for a servent to answer so I could present Clarice a bouque of flower that paled in beauty compared to her silken blonde locks and hazel green eyes._

"_May I request a meeting with Miss Clarice?" I requested formally, holding the floral arrangement behind my back._

"_May I ask who it is with?" The maid asked in a soft voice._

"_Shane Gray." I replied and the maid hurried away, leaving me in the entry way._

"_Tresspassing at my lake was not enough for you, Mister Gray?" Clarice frowned as she walked gracefully down the stairs and I couldn't help but stare at her with stars in my eyes._

"_I came here to formally appologise, Miss Clarice." I told her, presenting the flowers. "The best flowers from my greenhouse do not compare to your beauty."_

"_Obviously." Clarice rolled her eyes, accepting the flowers. "I graciously accept your appologies, Sir Gray."_

"_Shane." I said automatically and she looked puzzled. "You may call me, Shane, Miss Clarice."_

"_Very well, Shane, would you like some tea?" I let my eyes trail after Clarice as she walked away._

"_Yes, thank-you." I agreed, following her as she went to the tea room we were in yesterday. I hurried over and held her chair out for her before I sat in the seat I had yesterday._

_**Eternity**_

_Friday, February 10th_

"Hey, Rox." I smiled, sitting opposite her at the coffee shop.

"Hey, Sugar, what's shaking?" Roxy asked and I felt a comfort wash over me at the sound of her voice.

"So much, I feel like everything is happening at once." I sighed a little, Shane, memories, people wanting to kill me to get to Shane, Dad...

"You want to talk about it, Sweet Knees?" Roxy offered and I laughed slightly. I'm a girl, I have knees... Ever since then Roxy called me Sweet Knees.

"Actually, Rox... I wanted to talk about maybe." I took a slow breath. "Coming back to being my bodyguard? If-if you want to?"

"You serious, Kid?" Roxy got that wide-eyed excited look. "Well, sign me up, Baby."

"Seriously?" I asked.

"You're family, Miley, that means I'm here if you need a little muscle."

"Eep." I jumped out of my chair and hugged Roxy. "Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you."

"Anyone in particular I need to protect you from? Get my Puma on?" Roxy asked and I let out a breath.

"Any guy that might have my best interests in mind." I rolled my eyes, Shane said it was always a man who was a friend, who meant no harm, who ended up killing me. "It's a long, complicated story, but I need to keep all men, boys... Just all males away from me and have no influence on my life until my twentieth birthday." I paused for a second. "No guys, not even Dad or Jackson."

"What's going on, Miley?" Roxy frowned and I looked down at my hands, gently cradling my coffee. I reached into my purse and pulled out a picture of Shane, the one where he'd fallen asleep with his head nestled on my breasts.

"This man is trying to protect me, and until I turn twenty he's the only man that I know for sure won't accidently lead me to my death." I showed her the picture with a smile, he looked so peaceful and innocent, with a cute little smile on his face. "I need you to trust me, Roxy, there's a cycle that's been happening for five thousand years between me, this man and another man. I don't know who the other man is except that he's always someone who means well and thinks he's doing what's best for me." I slipped the picture back into my purse. "Shane is is the only man you can let have any impact on my life for the next ten months. I know this sounds like a lot, and it sounds weird, but I need you to trust me, Roxy."

"I trust you, Sugar." Roxy said and I let out a breath.

"I love you, Rox." I grinned.

_**Eternity**_

"Roxy?" Lilly hissed when I made it back to our dorm room at Stanford. "Miley, why is Roxy here?"

"I just need help with a few things." I sighed, tossing my bag on my bed.

"Like what? What's going on, Miles?" Lilly demanded as I took out my camera. I'd bought an actual camera yesterday afternoon to take my pictures with; one of me and one of something random everyday, I was hoping to see Shane. "You disapeared for a week, came back with some psycho guy, disapeared again, and come back with Roxy?"

"I can't explain it, Lilly, but I just have a lot going on right now." I took my camera over and loaded the memory chip onto the computer. I'd taken a half dozen pictures yesterday and about twenty today. "Where are you, Babe?" I whispered, enlarging the first picture; it was a self-taken picture of me laying in my bed, depressed.

"But, nothing you can trust me, your _best friend_ with?" Lilly sounded hurt and wounded. "Nice, Miley, nice to know you can trust me." She said bitterly. I scanned the next photo. "And, what? Now you're ignoring me? I-"

"God, Lilly." I turned away from my computer on the third picture. "Just stop it already, since when do I have to run every single aspect of my life through you? I can't tell you, okay? I can't even tell Dad and Jackson the complete truth, and Roxy is here to protect me from people who want to kill me just because I was born. It has nothing to do with you and if you know what's good for you, you won't question me or try to find out because it'll only put you in a kind of danger that you couldn't even imagine." I snapped at her, grabbing my computer and storming out of the dorm room, leaving the stunned blonde behind.

I kept walking until I made it to the library and I went to one of the cubicles at the back to set up my computer. No Shane in the third photo either. It wasn't a full moon last night, but I just wanted to see him. It hadn't even been a day yet and I already missed him so much.

After looking through all the pictures, I knew it was risky, but I needed to at least try and look for something to help Shane. I opened a search engine, I know that whatever I found the other day before I passed out was important, but I didn't know what it was.

"What's goin' on, Sugar?" Roxy came up behind me and I jumped. Roxy like a Puma, I had to remember that now.

"Bad people who want to hurt a good man." I replied with a soft sigh, closing the search window before I could actually type anything.

"Well, he don't seem so good if so many people want hurt him." Roxy pointed out.

"Tell me about it, a week ago I thought he was a psychotic, suicidal, kidnapping maniac." I laughed a little dryly. Only a week and a half ago I didn't know he existed, only a week ago we'd our first kiss, only a couple of days I'd admitted that I love him. Before I'd even admitted that I love him I'd practially announced we should be engaged. "You just have to get to know him, it's a lot deeper than anyone realises." My very Soul ached for him, I love him, I need him, he's my Soul mate.

"You're gonna explain all this to me, Miley." Roxy said and my breath caught. "Not right now, but one day you're gonna tell me what's goin' on." She amended and I let the breath out.

"It's a really long story, Rox, I still don't completely get it." I said truthfully. One thing I don't understand still is why I have the memories of the past lives when Shane said that none of the others did. Did it mean something? Did it mean that this was the last time so I was findin gout what happened in the past times? I hoped so. As painful as it was to watch myself die over and over again - Athena had been killed in battle by her comrade in my dreams last night - it would be worth it if I knew I wasn't going to die early this life, or that Shane wouldn't have to watch me die again and have to live the pain and sorrow.

"Well, you're makin' a lot of decissions because of something you don't understand." Roxy pointed out.

"It's neccessary." I looked down, Shane was trying to save my life, I had to at least do what he asked and not let well-meaning men influence me for a couple of months.

"Remember, Miley, it's always the sweet ones." Roxy reminded me and I laughed.

"Shane isn't sweet until he's kidnapped you and threatened to kill you." Roxy looked absolutely apalled at that and I laughed again. "It's part of the long story."

"This must be one heck of a long story."

"You have no idea." I shook my head in agreement.

_**Eternity**_

"What do you think you are doing, Sir Shane?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. I was Clarice, and from this memory Shane had been courting me for three months now. We were out by the lake I had first met him at, when I'd thought he was a homeless beggar with an unsavoury attitude.

"You always stand at the edge, you have to see it's beauty from the water." Shane replied, he had tethered a boat to the shore and was holding a hand out for me to take.

"What would happen if the boat were to tip? I would drown. Father bought me the lake for pleasent appearences, not to drown in." I huffed, crossing my arms and Shane chuckled, a musical sound that I loved. In only three months of knowing him I knew that I wanted to marry him. I love him already and he made me want to be a better person.

"We could swim and kiss under the moon and the stars." Shane answered with a grin and I bit my lip.

"I cannot swim." I denied, feeling my cheeks become hot with a blush.

"Then I'll make sure the boat doesn't tip, and if it does I'll keep you afloat." Shane suddenly became serious, his eyes darkening in a way that took my breath away. "I would never let anything happen to you, Clarice, you are my love." I impulsively leaned up and captured his lips in a kiss.

"I will go with you, but only for a short time, I much prefer land." I conceded and he flashed me a triumphant grin, holding his hand out once more to help me into the little boat. Not even a few minutes later I was held securely in Shane's arms in the middle of the lake as he pointed out the coonstellations of stars above us. The gentle rocking of the boat was actually quite soothing.

"Of course, my beautiful Clarice, every star in every constellation pales in beauty compared to you." Shane whispered and I felt myself heat up again when he was finished naming the stars.

"You are a charmer, Sir Gray." I accused with a giggle and he swooped down and kissed my lips.

"Only with you." His eyes sparkling in the moonlight. "I love you, Precious Clarice." Shane's voice was soft and loving as he stroked my cheek tenderly. "For Eternity."

"I love you too, Shane." I smiled and kissed him softly. "For Eternity." I mimcked sincerely.

"My Clarice." Shane started and kissed me lightly. "I would like to ask your Father permission for your hand in marriage." He revealed and my breath caught. "But, only if you would like." He seemed nervous.

"My hand is yours for the taking, Shane." I told him assuredly. "My hand, my heart, my body. No matter what father were to say I am forever yours and he would not deny me anything."

"Nor would I, your happiness is my only care."

* * *

><p><strong>Please review?<strong>

**Smiler For Joe!**


	23. XXII

_**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**_

_I watched in amusement as Clarice threw a tantrum. To be honest I had forgotten what it was about ten minutes after it started, and her Father had agreed to give her what she wanted five minutes after it started, but she was still going. Around everyone else she was a brat, she'd demand, order, whine, scream. She'd do just about anything to get her own way. But, when it was us, just her and me alone, she was sweet, kind, sincere, selfless. I couldn't see why she would be so different. Why wouldn't she let everyone else see how sweet she was?_

"_I don't know what you do to tame her, but please do it now." Her Father hissed to me and I chuckled and shook my head slightly before I stepped forward._

"_Clarice." I put my hands on her arms and smoothed them up and down soothingly. "Calm down, my Angel." I murmured in her ear. I felt her physically relax and lean back into me. "Your Father agreed, and I don't like seeing you so worked up." I dipped my head and kissed her neck. "At least not unless it's because of me and for a whole other reason." I felt her heat up and blush and it made me grin._

"_Fine." Her voice was still slightly angry and pouty, but she was relenting. "But, you have to take me to the lake and treat me like a Princess." She demanded and I chuckled._

"_Anything you want, My Sweet Clarice." I agreed, hugging her tightly from behind. I knew that Clarice was a spoilt brat, but I couldn't help but spoil her myself. I think I'd figured out how I instantly loved her at first sight, just like with Athena and Milenia. The emotions, the feelings, the connection. I think we were Soul mates; that Athena, and now Clarice were reincarnations of Milenia. It was just a theory, I know, but right now it was all that made sense. Being with Clarice made the pain of Milenia and Athena all but disapear. "I love you."_

"_And I love you, Shane." I smiled, a moment of her sweetness before she pulled out of my arms. "I must go freshen up, it is simply not acceptable for me to appear anything but my best."_

"_You are stunningly beautiful, Clarice." I complimented truthfully and she blushed. "All the time."_

"_You are very flattering, Sir Gray." Clarice smiled down at me from the stairs before started up to her rooms with her handmaids._

"_I don't know how you do it, Sir, but you have a talent with Clarice." Her Father said and I did the old awe shucks routine._

"_All I do is love her." I replied, watching after the place I last saw her before I turned to him. "Sir Delaney, I would like to ask your permission for your daughters hand in marriage." I told him, feeling nervous. What would we do if he denied me?_

"_Pardon me?" Mr. Delaney questioned with a raised eyebrow._

"_I love Clarice, Sir, more than anything, and I wish to spend Eternity with her. With your permission I would like to ask Clarice to marry me." I explained, but I was unsure. Not about my love for Clarice, but for Eternity. Would Eternity ever really happen? I had lived many lifetimes, I had survived being kill uncountable times in the past. The only thing I had not tried to kill myself was beheading and that was only because I didn't know what would happen. Would my head remain alive in constant agony? Would my head reconnect with my body? What would happen? I knew I would live, possibly forever, but Clarice... The only way to ensure our Eternity would be to have her drink and bath in the Elixir, but I would not wish that on my worst enemy let alone my love._

"_After only three months of courting my daughter you believe I should allow her to marry?" Mr. Delaney asked and I became nervous._

"_I believe you should trust her judgement in whether she were to accept or not." I chose my words carefully and he eyed me up and down._

"_I know my daughter, Shane Gray." Mr. Delaney began, sounding strict and stern and my heart faltered for a moment, scared he would deny me. "And I know that the material objects I shower her with placate her, certainly, but you. You make her truly happy." I shot my head up to look at him, he looked resigned, sad even. "Upon the condition that you continue to make my darling Clarice happy you have my permission for her hand in marriage." I let out the breath I was holding I could feel myself smiling like the village drunk idiot when he thought something was funny. Really, the man was pathetic, but that was beside the point, I could ask my Clarice to marry me._

_**Eternity**_

_Sunday, February 12th_

One thing about Roxy was she certainly took my request for no men serriously, to the point where I was starting to regret rehiring her. But, I didn't, I know it was the right decission. I lined up my camera and took a photo of the cloud in the sky, it looked like a heart and since I was going to take photos every day I decided it should be something beautiful.

Shane had said that he'd followed my career all my life, so I'd re-opened my **Flitter** and I hoped he would follow me, know that I was okay. Since it was a Sunday I should be studying or doing something for my career or school, but I couldn't bring myself to. How could I focus on something as trivial as school or singing when Shane was out somewhere trying to break the circle of life that would lead me to be dead by November.

I sighed, I missed Shane already, I aimed up my camera at a tree that had two birds sitting together in a nest, nuzzling against each other. I gasped when the picture snapped. I swear, right when I took the photo, for a split second I saw Shane.

"Rox!" I yelled, jumping up and grabbing my bag. "Dorm!" Was all I could say as I ran off. I had to see the photo, I had to know if it was just wishful thinking or if I actually saw him. As soon as I was in me and Lilly's dorm room I didn't bother closing the door, I just dropped my bag and ripped the memmory card out of the camera.

"Oh, so you do still live here?" Lilly sniffed indignantly and I sighed, she was still pisses about me snapping at her; did she have selective hearing or something? I'd told her it was dangerous, that she could die because of it, that I was protecting her, but all she heard was that I wasn't going to tell her what was going on.

"Just drop the attitude, Lil." I muttered, waiting for the photos to load. There he was. In the picture of the two birds in the nest, he was way in the back, a tiny little version of himself sitting on a leaf. Shane. I smiled and blew up the picture so his handsome face was more pixilated, but larger. I printed it out and carefully slipped it into the photo album that my Mom had dedicated to him. He was alive. It had only been a couple of days, but I already missed Shane, and I wouldn't be happy until I had him back, safe and sound in my arms. "Just accept that I won't tell you, and you're safer that way." I snapped, but my heart wasn't really into it. Shane was alive. I could focus on that, as of this afternoon Shane was still alive, he was still searching for a way to end the circle of life. But, I'd be even more happy about it next week, after the full moon had been. Apparently the bad people could only use the dagger against Shane on the full moon.

"So much for being best friends." Lilly scoffed and I just rolled my eyes. I didn't want to deal with this right now.

"If you were my best friend you would accept that I don't want to talk about it."

"Miley, this puma can't like it used to, you can't take off so fast." Roxy said when she arrived.

"Sorry." I mumbled, not taking my eyes off the computer as I scrolled through the rest of the pictures fuitlly.

_**Eternity**_

_Tuesday, february 21st_

**Miley**

The envelope was slid under the dorm room door and I as soon as I picked it up and saw Shane's handwriting I flung the door open and looked around the hall in all directions. He wasn't here though, maybe he never was. Maybe he just had someone deliver it. I'd been worried sick for the last three days since the full moon. I know he said he might now be able to write to me, but it was all I was holding onto since I hadn't seen him in any pictures since the two birds in the nest.

**My sweet Miley.**

Shane added a delicate little heart on the end that made me smile.

**I love you my precious. As I write this it is Sunday, February 19th. The day after the full moon. I promise you I am alive, and I as I write it has been 3 hours since your last flitter update. I hope you're safe. I know you're alive at least, I can feel it in my heart, but I hope you're safe. Take the gun with you everywhere, please?  
>I know you want to know; currently I haven't found an alternitive, but I will keep looking until I know you are 100% safe.<strong>

I sighed, I knew that, I just hoped Shane would be alive to be the one to keep me safe. I was safe in his arms, but he didn't seem to understand that because he left to keep me safe. I felt safer than ever with Shane, but he thought he was danger.

**Are you happy, Miley? I need you to be alive, but I wish for you to be happy. For you to live long and happily is all I want, not matter what. What am I saying? You're worried, not happy. Please don't worry? I know how to protect myself, I've had 5000 years to learn how, it's you I need to protect. I'd be with you, protecting you, but it would put you in more danger.**

He was off, possibly going to die, possibly hoping to die if he couldn't find another way, and he was worried about me. I brushed my fingers over the letters of Shane's words. He'd written this two days ago.

**I know I keep telling you to be alert, but that doesn't mean I don't want you to enjoy life. Please, have a happy life whilst I am not there. I hope to return to you soon, my Precious love, but more than that I want you to be happy.  
>Please try and be happy, no matter what may happen.<strong>

He was telling me to keep going if he died. What? Did he want me to just forget about him? It doesn't work like that, he had to know that; he never forgot about any of the others after they died, and he lived in miserable agonizing depression until he met the next one. I wondered idly what would happen if he did break the cycle and we both survived; when we eventually died again would the cycle start again? Would our future incarnations meet? Would they have the memories like I have the memories of my past lives?

**I know this letter isn't much, but I promise I will try to write after every full moon.  
>I love you, Miley, with all my heart. And I know it sounds odd, but I can feel it in my Soul that you're different from the others, I can feel it, I know you're going to be okay... You have to be.<strong>

**I've left the dagger in the box and locked it, the key is in the envelope; this way if it is the last resort I'll have to come back and I'll be able to see you one last time.**

**With all my love  
>Shane<strong>

He signed the letter with another heart and little x kisses. I let out a breath and scrambled for the envelope that I'd dropped, sure enough the key with the heart on the end was right there. I sighed and clasped it around my neck, I wasn't going to risk anyone taking it from anywhere. I turned back to the letter and smoothed it out.

"I love you too, Shane." I whispered before Lilly let out a noise in her sleep. I swiped at the tears gathering in my eyes and ticked the letter away, getting up and heading to the bathroom to shower.

Shane thought I was different from the others; what did that mean? How was I different? They were all different in almost every aspect; looks, personality, lifstyle, talents... The only things they really had in common was being female and Shane. And their Souls, they all had the same Soul. I had the same Soul as all of them.

I'd been thinking to myself for ten minutes in the shower before I realised I had been drawing on the glass surrounding the shower through fog and steam; I'd drawn a triquetra, just like the one Shane gave me that hung around my neck right now.

Love, honor, protect.

* * *

><p><strong>I have a problem with Elena Gilbert! HOW CAN SHE NOT TELL DAMON SHE LOVES HIM? Come on, I've been Team Damon from the start and I finally thought they were gonna admit it. At least they had a hot make out scene :P<strong>

**Please review :D**

**Smiler For Joe!**


	24. XXIII (MISSING CHAPTER! PLEASE READ!)

_**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**_

"_Have you ever thought about what is up there?" My sweet Clarice asked as we lay on a blanket at night at her prized lake, looking up at the stars. Clarice was looking at the stars, I couldn't take my eyes off of her._

"_What do you mean?" I questioned, this was one of the times when it was just me and Clarice, one of the times where she wasn't pushy or stubborn and demanding outlandish things._

"_If there are stars up there at night, and clouds during the day, what else could be there that we can't see?" Clarice explained and I smiled._

"_I can see all I need to right now." I grinned, staring straight at her and she turned her head and blushed._

"_You are certainly a charmer, Mister Gray." Clarice teased._

"_Only for you, don't want to charm anyone else." I replied, kissing her gently. Clarice was such a perfect Angel. I carefully twirled a piece of her honey blonde hair behind her ear and leaned in and kissed her. "I love you."_

"_I love you too." I never tired of hearing those words, after I lost Milenia and Athena I never thought I would feel this way about anyone. I hoped and prayed I wouldn't lose Clarice as well... But, in my head, a complete contradiction to my heart, I knew that I would keep living; the Elixir made sure I stayed alive, but Clarice would eventually die. "What are you thinking of?" Clarice questioned softly and I brought myself back to the current time, the time where I still had Clarice and my love for her was as certain as the stars were bright. I wouldn't dwell on what I could not change._

"_The future." I answered honestly and she smile, I was thinking of the future, but she didn't have to know I was thinking of the depression I knew would come eventually. "And how beautiful you are."_

"_You are quite handsome yourself, Sir Gray." I couldn't stop myself from kissing her gently, her soft lips warm against my as they parted and our tongues met sensually. I found myself on top of her, careful not to put too much of my body weight on her as we kissed and her hands freely moved about my chest and back muscles._

_It wasn't long until the sun was rising, casting a gentle glow over Calrice as I tenderly pushed my hardened penis into her wet depths as we made love. I cradled her against me as we rocked together. Clarice reached her height and her walls fluttered around me, coaxing my own orgasm to start and my name to fall breathlessly from her sweet lips._

_**Eternity**_

_Saturday, February 26th_

It was raining. It was raining in California. I was looking out at the sky and hugging my legs, watching the acidic water pelt down against everything. It looked so beautifully chaotic. For some reason it reminded me of Shane, beautiful, so very beautiful, but it could kill. I knew it could kill, and I knew Shane could kill as well; I'd seen it in my memories, and he'd admitted it before. Shane could kill, it didn't scare me now like when I first met him, it actually made me feel safer knowing he would do anything to protect me.

I sighed and played with the necklace Shane gave me, the triquetra one. Love, Honor and Protect. I wondered idly if he'd given the same necklace to my past lives. Was this one of a set? Or did they all wear this same necklace around my neck right now? Or was I the first? I knew Shane didn't want me to be like them or anything, he just loved me for me, but sometimes I wondered when I was alone and there was no-one to correct my fears, that he loved them more, that I was just another one in the line.

Before, when that happened, Shane would hold me, and kiss me and I felt all my worries and fears melt away at his touch. But, now he wasn't here, I didn't know where he was. And if I was lucky the next time I'd see him would be on his birthday in August. It was only February and I had to wait until August to see Shane again. Unless he broke the curse before then, but he didn't seem to sure that he'd even be able to do that, let alone in the next few months.

Lilly was still mad at me for not telling her anything, but I was just trying to keep her safe. Right now she was studying in the library across campus, but I couldn't study, I didn't even want to still be in school. I was bored with school, what did I need a law degree for anyway? I didn't expect my music and acting career to last forever, but maybe I could teach music or something? Or I could just be a music writer like Dad, or a manager? I didn't either need nor want a law degree. Maybe I should just drop out or something?

My phone buzzed, but I ignored it, I didn't want to talk to anyone. I wanted Shane to be here, but he wasn't so I didn't want to talk to anyone. After a while my phone stopped buzzing and beeped a couple of times saying I had a messege. Would Shane be reckless enough to contact me by phone? He'd said before that it was too dangerous, but the temptation was too strong that it might be Shane.

It wasn't Shane, it was Jake Ryan. My ex, one of the jerk ass ones who cheated on me. He was back in town and he wanted to catch up. I frowned and threw my phone away, why would I want to stay around a guy who cheated on me? He really hurt me, I was head over heels for Jake and he hurt me for the last time two years ago, I wasn't going to let it happen again. Especially not since I have Shane now. My phone beeped again and I returned to ignoring it as I watched the rain fall and patter. I watched a droplet of water trail down the window and I sighed when it reached the bottom.

There was a soft knock on the dorm door, almost hesitant, but it was unexpected enough to make me jump. I got up and stepped closer, I wasn't expecting anyone, I didn't know who it could be. The person on the other side jiggled the doorknob and I frowned, Lilly had a key, Dad wouldn't come all the way here to visit me in the middle of a storm, Jackson just wouldn't come visit me. The doorknob jiggled again and I scurried over to grab my bag, digging through to find the gun Shane made me promise to keep with me all the time.

I kept my hand with the gun down by my leg and slightly behind me as I unlocked the door. My breath caught as I reached to open the door. Then I dropped the gun and flung my arms around him. Shane.

"I got you, Baby." Shane whispered, his strong arms moving around me and holding me closely.

"I missed you, Shane." I couldn't let go of him, I didn't want to, I didn't want to ever let him out of my sights again. I couldn't believe that Shane had managed to make me feel this way after only two weeks. I felt like I'd die without him. Is this how he felt as well after five thousand years of falling in love with each incarnation of my Soul?

"I missed you too, Miley." I felt his scorching hot lips on my neck. "I couldn't do it." My heart stuttered as Shane took me over and gently sat me on the bed. I didn't realise I'd been wrapped around him so tightly until he was tenderly coaxing my arms to release his neck. "I'm weak, Baby." Shane pulled away and for the first time I notice how red his eyes were. "I tried to keep you safe, but I'm weak, I can't do it, I can't stay away from you." His voice cracked a little and I sighed.

"Good, I don't want you to leave." I pulled him down to me and hugged him again.

"But, it's dangerous, the whole plan was based on me being able to stay away from you to keep you safe. If I can't even stay away from you for a month how am I going to be able to protect you?" Shane nuzzled against me as he spoke, his lips grazing against my neck softly with each word. "If-if I can't-if I can't stay away from you to protect you then I have to stay with you so they can't hurt you."

"I don't care if it's dangerous, just don't leave me." I felt myself start to pout and he smiled almost sadly.

"They probably know who you are and where you are by now, the CV are bloodthirsty bastards, I can't leave you when I know they could hurt you at any second." He kissed my lips lightly and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. "You get more beautiful every time I see you." I blushed and tried to look away, but he wouldn't let me.

"Does that mean you'll stay?" I let myself be hopeful.

"Until I know for absolute certain you're safe I'm not leaving your side." There was an almost possesive growl to Shane's voice as he spoke, his eyes dark and threatening. "I have some people looking for the bowl for me." I flinched, he was looking for the bowl to complete the ritual that would kill him. He wasn't looking for a way to save himself. "And I'll keep looking for a lead." He added.

"I got you back now, I'm not letting you die." I said determindly and Shane shot me a half smile.

"When the other option is you dieing... I'll do anything to protect you." I sighed, it always came back to this, back him thinking it was him or me, as if he'd already given up.

"If you die, Shane, so do I." I whispered barely audibly.

_**Eternity**_

"How-" I bit my lip, I shouldn't ask, it wouldn't only hurt him. "How did Clarice die?" I looked away as I spoke and Shane stiffened in my arms. We were laying in my bed in the darkness, talking quietly so we wouldn't wake Lilly. "I shouldn't-"

"It's okay." Shane's voice was strained, pained and I regretted asking. "You-you have a right to know." I heard him swollow. "I used to take her to a lake." I winced, I knew the lake, I had memories of being at that lake with Shane, having fun, playing, star gazing, cloud watching, making love... "One of the local boys in town had affections for her and when our engagement was announced, I had business to attend and Clarice said she would be with her father." I stroked his face soothingly and pecked his lips. "The other boy, he took her away from her room and to the lake, he wanted to convince her to love him instead. They were out in a boat and Clarice couldn't swim." She drowned. Shane didn't have to say it, it was implied. "He tried to force himself on her and she kept moving away until she... Fell." His vvoice was hollow and forced as he talked about it, as he relived it. I regretted even thinking of asking him. "When I got there it was too late, she was still screaming in the water, trying to stay afloat, but by the time I got out to her..." It was too late.

"I'm sorry." I cooed, cradling his face to me and kissing him. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have asked." I felt his warm tears touch my fingertips and my heart broke a little, I'd made hime cry again. "I'm so sorry, Baby, I'm sorry."

"It was three hundred years before I could go near water again." Shane murmured, sniffling a little. "Are you still having their memories?" He asked, I knew it hurt him, I shouldn't have brought it up.

"Yeah." I looked away and he sighed, his finger under my chin and he gently made me look back up at him.

"Never feel you should have to hide something from me, I want you to be able to tell me anything." His thumb stroked my cheek and I smiled weakly.

"I've been having Clarice's memories since you left, you were happy with her." I could see it, the genuine smiles, the sparkle in his eyes. He was more optomistic back then, calmer.

"I'm always happy with you." Shane assured, kissing my lips. "It's the hundreds of years without you that make me depressed and bitter."

"That's not going to happen anymore." I promised, involluntarilly letting out a yawn that made Shane chuckle.

"Sleep, my Angel, my precious." He kissed my forehead, my cheek, my lips. "I'll be here when you wake up and we can talk more."

"Promise you'll really stay?" It had been Hell without him, I couldn't do that again.

"I promise I'll stay to protect you." Shane vowed. "Sleep." He coaxed, continuing to kiss me and I smiled as I kept kissing him back.

"Can't sleep with your lips this close to me." I teased and he went to move away, but I held him close. "I never said I wanted them to move."

"I love you, Miley Stewart." Shane declared and I grinned against his lips.

"I love you too, Shane Gray."

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, Jeez, I don't know how it happened, or how I didn't notice it earlier. But, I somehow completely missed posting this chapter. So this one get's a two-fer for Miley's birthday!<strong>

**Smiler For Joe!**


	25. XXIV

_**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**_

_My heart thumped as I watched Clarice on her majestic white stallion. Clarice watching was one of my favourite things to do. It was a lazy Sunday and I had just arrived to accompany Clarice to a ball to find her mounted to her steed, her Angelic blonde blown behind her as she almost flew through the feild. I was convinced the Gods had an Angel in mind when they created Clarice._

"_Sir Shane, I find you tresspassing on my land once again." Clarice said in a teasing tone and I hurried over to help her off the stallion, my hands holding her waist securely as I brought her down to me._

"_My apologies, Miss Clarice, your beauty draws me and I am too weak to resist." I grinned down at her, threading a locke of her silken blonde hair through my fingers and playing with it._

"_I'm sure I can be generous enough to forgive you." Clarice smiled up at me. "If you kiss me." She conditioned and I kept grinning as I happily obliged, slanting my lips across hers._

"_Would you like me to accompany you to the ball this eve?" I offered challantly with a slight bow._

"_It would be my pleasure." Clarice curtsied and I offered her my arm and held her steeds reins. "If you came to escort me, though, you are not propperly attired." We started back to the house by way of the stables._

"_I simply await your approval before dressing." I conceded, pressing a soft kiss to the back of her hand._

"_I have you well trained." Clarice teased and all I could do was smile bashfully._

"_I know a lot of tricks too." Clarice stopped a couple of steps up the grand staircase and I leaned against the banister to kiss her. "I can do this thing with my tongue..." I grinned wickedly, making Clarice blush scarlet._

"_You are simply __**scandalous**__, Sir Shane." Clarice bit her soft pink bottom lip and I ached to kiss her again, but I knew she would be possitively distraught if she missed a ball._

"_Perhaps I could show you the extent of my scandal after the ball, Miss Clarice?" I offered, reaching over to twirl her hair through my fingers. Her golden blonde hair that shined like a halo in the sun._

"_For that we must first attend the ball." Clarice slowly pulled away and I watched her ascend the stairs, shooting me one last look before she disapeared from sight._

_**Eternity**_

_Sunday, February 27th_

"I see your boyfriend's back in town." Lilly muttered after Shane had disapeared into the bathroom to shower.

"Yeah." I sat back on my bed. "If-if you got to know him you'd really like him."

"Doubt it." Lilly scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Shane is a good guy, Lilly." I insisted. "I'm sorry, Lil, I never meant to hurt you or alienate you." I sighed a little sadly, feeling guilty.

"Yeah, well, you did." Lilly snapped.

"I really am trying to protect you, Lil." I told her, but I knew it wouldn't appease her. "I'll tell you about when I can, when it's safe."

"Don't bother waiting, it's not going to be safe for anyone until next Christmas." Shane re-appeared wearing only a towel, his wet hair dripping down and over his bare chest. I blushed and forced myself to look away. "They want you and everyone around you to get to me, so not telling her is only keeping her in the dark at this point."

"Oh, so it's your fault my best friend is always looking over her shoulder?" Lilly glared at him and I frowned when he came and sat on my bed, looking down so the water dripped into his eyes.

"Yes." He admitted softly. "Because of a mistake I made a long time ago so I could make it home to my wife."

"You're married?" Lilly shrieked and Shane startled. Shane looked up at me and we stared at each other for a few seconds before I sighed in resignation.

"I was married... Five thousand years ago." Shane said and that shut Lilly up. "I was born five thousand and twenty-two years ago in ancient Roman times of Gladiators, I was a slave sold to a Ludas run by one of the Batiatus brothers and trained to be a Gladiator." I could see the memories playing in his eyes and I couldn't help but remember my dream memories as well. "At the Ludas I met one of Domina's hand-maids, her name was Milenia. After I would battle in the arena every time Milenia would come to me and help me heal, nursing me back to health and she would beg me not to fight again. But, I was fighting to gain coin for our freedom, I would see us both free and happy together." I don't think he even realised the way he reverted back to talking like they did five thousand years ago. "I eventually did gain our freedom and we got married, then I found out that I had family out of Capua who were in danger and I went to go aid them. I found my family, but they were in no danger, it was a trap. On my way back to Milenia in Capua I was seperated from my family and I was alone in the desert." I knew what happened next, Lilly seemed very enthralled in his story, hanging on to every word. "I found a spring with a silvery substance in it. I'd been days without food or water, I'd been bitten by a snake earlier and I knew it's poison would kill me quickly without a healer. The substance was foriegn and it very well could have killed me, but I was desperate to return to Milenia so I drank from it. I drank it, I bathed in it, I stayed by it through the night and when I woke I was healed. When I'd been so close to death the night before I was completely healed when I woke up. I'd found the Elixir of life." Shane gulped, now came the bad part.

"One of the Batiatus brothers had set the trap to lure Shane away and kidnap Milenia." I held Shane's hand tightly in mine, I could remember on my own what happened next. "Shane was the best fighter in the arena and the other brother wanted him for his Ludas so he kidnapped Milenia and threatened her if Shane didn't fight for him. So he faught." I could remember the dreams where Milenia would sit in the cell and Shane's limp, unconscious, torn body would be thrown on the hard ground. She would cradle him and pray to the Gods that he would be okay. "But Batiatus wasn't satisfied enough when he kept winning so he-" I choked, how could I describe a dreamt memory of a past life being kidnaped, almost raped and then murdered.

"He took her away from me and brought me to watch him rape her." Shane's voice was rough and he was glaring at the floor. I wouldn't let him harm her for anything so I fought, I fought to free her and I killed everyone who came in my way. But, it wasn't enough; Milenia was killed by a sword through the heart and I was left alone. I was alone in the world. I tried to die. So many times." His hand tightened around mine. "Nothing I tried worked, every time I would die I'd just come back. I couldn't die. I was immortal." Shane gulped and I slipped my hand out of his, instead moving into his lap and cuddling him.

"Nice story." Lilly scoffed after a minute and I looked up at her. I understood that it was impossible to believe. Shane gently pushed off of him and he went over to the bag he'd brought, pulling out that damned pocket knife. He flipped open a blade and walked to stand directly in front of Lilly.

"Cut me." He ordered gruffly, standing right in front of her, towering over her. "You. cut me, right here, right now. If I don't heal you'll know I was lying my fucking ass off."

"Look, I don't know what kind of psycho you are-" Lilly started to step away, but Shane grabbed her hand and forced the pocket knife in it before bringing it to his arm. I had to turn away when I saw the blod, instead I looked at the floor and I winced when I saw the blood dripping down onto the carpet. Lilly let out horrified sounds and tried to pull away, but Shane wouldn't let her, forcing her to stay and watch, and probably feel his sliced arm. How many times had he done that? How often did he cut open his own arm.

"That's me. That's my blood. That's my _bone_." Shane growled and I could hear Lilly still trying to get away. I gasped when the towel pulled away from his hips and I looked up to see him wiping away the blood before he dropped the towel to the floor, leaving his skin perfectly smooth and untouched. And his body butt naked.

"Oh, my God!" Lilly shrieked, grabbing his arm with her bloody hands, feeling all over it. I knew the feeling of disbelief well. "Oh, my God." I couldn't help the flush of jealousy that coursed through and I picked up my pillow and through it at him.

"Hey." Shane whined, turning to me when the fluffy object hit him and I glared.

"_Must_ you strip in front of my best friend?" I demanded and he flushed and hurriedly bent to pick up the pillow, covering his limp manhood. Meanwhile at the mention of stripping Lilly snapped back and flushed as well, turning away from his nake body, but I knew her, she secretly liked it. Not that I blamed her, but I still didn't like it, it still made jealousy bubble inside me and made me angry at the thought.

"Uh... I'm going to get dressed." Shane quickly fled and I rolled my eyes as he disapeared again.

"Miley, what the Hell was all that?" Lilly asked, her eyes wide and she looked a little pale. "Immortal, healing, _five thousand years old_?" She demanded and I looked down.

"That spring was the Elixir of Life." I informed and she gaped. "I'm still trying to understand it, to wrap my head around it. Part of me still thinks this is a dream and I'm going to wake up any second." I revealed, I got up and went to grab the photo album.

"What does any of it have to do with you?"

"Because-" I sighed and closed my eyes for a second. "-because Milenia... Milenia is me." I was met with shocked silence. "Milenia, Athena, Clarice, Alighsha, Elizabeth, me. We're all re-incarnations of the same Soul. And Shane is my Soul mate. He's been alive and in torture for five thousand years; first he lost Milenia, then he thought he got a second chance when he met Athena a thousand years later, but she died too. Then Clarice drowned, I don't know how Alieghsha and Elizabeth died yet, but every time that Soul is reincarnated she dies before she'd twenty... Before _I'm_ twenty." I opened the photo album and started showing her the pictures. "According to Shane it's a man and it's always a friend or someone who means well that leads to my death. Add that with the people who want to kill Shane for the Elixir of Life and want to hurt me to get to him... That's why I kept trying to tell you how unsafe it is."

"Why doesn't he just leave if he's so dangerous to be around?"

"He tried, but he had to come to me to break the cycle. He figures if he dies then the cycle breaks and I live past twenty, but it can only be done when I'm between nineteen and twenty." If I didn't survive it was a depressing thought that Shane would have had less than a year and he spent it looking for a way out. "I was only trying to keep you out of this, Lilly, I don't know why those people want to hurt him so badly, but anyone connected with me is in danger and I didn't want anything to happen to you."

"Miley, we're best friends... We're more than that, we're sisters, you have to know that if anything is wrong I'm going to be right there with you; the good, the bad, and the dangerous." Lilly said softly and I smiled weakly.

"You two talked things out?" Shane asked when he came back and I smiled at him in his jeans, the white shirt and his leather jacket. He looked like a classical bad boy. It was so sexy.

"Just the start." I shrugged and he grinned. "Where are you going?" I felt a thrill of panic as he pulled his socks and shoes on.

"Surprise." He came over and slinked his arms around my waist and nuzzled into my neck. "I'll be back before you know it, Miles."

"Promise you'll come back?" I pouted and he grinned.

"Promise." He agreed, kissing my cheek lightly. "You've still got the key, remember." He tugged on the chain I'd taken to wearing around my neck, no way was I going to let it out of my sight because it was the only thing stopping him from getting the dagger out of the box and killing himself. "A couple of hours at most."

"I don't trust him, Miley." Lilly said as soon as he was out the door.

"I understand." I sighed, with everything that had happened it was easy not to trust Shane, everyone else didn't have the memories of him from the last five thousand years in their head. "But, will you try and at least get to know him? For me?"

"Fine." Lilly rolled her eyes. "But, only because you seem so into him and I want to make sure he doesn't hurt you like Jesse and Jake." Not even the mention of Jesse and Jake could made the wounds sting anymore.

"Shane hasn't hurt me in five thousand years, he's not gonna start now." I fingered the necklace he gave me; one of the meanings was Eternity.

"How do you know that? What if he's a psycho that kills you everytime?" Lilly worried and I smiled, this was the Lilly I knew.

"I have their memories." I whispered, playing with my fingers. "Remember the day I went to visit Dad?" It felt like so long ago I was wondering who the stranger in the pictures was. Lilly nodded her ascent. "The night before, was the first night I dreamt of Shane, as a gladiator." I bit my lip, he looked so sexy, standing in the middle of the arena, each hand holding a sword, arms wide with victory. But, at the same time he was injured, in pain, bleeding from a giant cut in his back. "It was a memory, and I kept having them. All through Milenia's relationship with him until another gladiator killed her and Shane was trying to save her." I felt the phantom sword in my stomach again, tearing at my organs. "Then Athena... I can see Clarice now. I have dreams about them; living, loving, then dying." I shuddered, it sounded so morbid... It _was_ so morbid.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay. I finished this chapter, but don't get your hopes up too high for a sudden reburst. I'll try, I really will try to finish this, but it may not happen for a while... Sigh... I had such high hopes for this story; it was going to be a whole series... :(<strong>

**1) What was your favourite part of the chapter?  
>2) Should I actually continue this or just try and start on something else? (I have this thing for centaurs right now, and I even made a good poster for a centaur story.)<br>3) What has been your favourite part of the story so far?  
>4) Was there or is there any particular past life of Mileys you liked best or are looking forward to?<br>5) Do you completely hate me for this being on hiatus for so long?**

**Please review? And try and answer the questions for me?**

**Smiler For Joe!**


	26. XXV (ALSO READ XXIII)

_**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**_

_Milenia looked at me and shook her head. I did a double take; Milenia. My precious Milenia. I tried to run to her, I had to hold her, just one more time, I had to tell her how much I love her, how much I miss her, how sorry I am and will always be. I tried running to her, but my feet wouldn't move. I tried to scream for her, but my mouth wouldn't open._

"_Protect her, Shane." Milenia spoke, she was so far away and her voice was so soft, but I could hear her as if she were whispering her love in my ear. "Protect my Soul." Her Soul? Was I right? Milenia, Athena, Clarice; did they all have the same Soul, is that why I couldn't help fall in love with them? Because we were Soul mates?_

"_Shane?" I jolted awake, gasping, trying to cling to the last remnants of my dream of Milenia. Clarice was the one hovering over me. The stars from our night of making love were gone and the bright sun was blocked by my precious Clarice._

"_Clare." I sat up, reaching for her, I cupped her cheek gently. I loved Milenia, I always would, but I had Clarice in front of me right now. My Soul mate; was it possible that I was right? Could Milenia, Athena and Clarice be my Soul mate reincarnated? "I love you, Clare." Clarice blushed and smiled shyly, something she wouldn't be caught dead doing if there was other people around._

"_As I love you, Shane." Clarice responded, brushing her delicate hands over my muscles. "Were you aware that you talk in your sleep?" She commented with a cheeky smile._

"_I was not." I denied, feeling a slight panic; what had I said? Had I mentioned Milenia? I never wanted Clarice to think I was enamored with another. "What did I say?"_

"_You were rather endearing." She smiled, stretching her tired muscles, her bare body glittering under the morning light. "You kept saying we were Soul mates." I let out a breath, I couldn't stand to Clarice upset, especially because of me._

"_My heart speaks." I smiled sweetly at her. I picked up her hand and placed it on my bare chest, letting her feel my heart beat. "What you feel there, every beat is for you, Clarice."_

"_As my heart beats for you." She responded, removing her hand and replacing it with her lips. I felt my skin set on fire under the wet caress of her lips as she kissed up to my lips. I cradled her against me and kissed her tenderly._

"_I shall return you to your father." I sighed after a while when I was just holding her, enjoying having her in my arms._

"_I do not wish to return to Father." Clarice pouted. I smiled and kissed her soft pink lips. "I wish to stay in your company."_

"_Your company is forever cherrished, Clarice." I brushed her blonde locked back. "But, I fear ill will from your father shall I not return you to his presence. He cares deeply for you." I stood and retrieved my pants, blushing under Clarice's lasivous stare. Once i was properly dressed I retrieved Clarice's ball gown from the previous night and held her silken slip to cover her delicious body; a sin in my opinion, but necessary._

"_Why thank-you, Sir Shane." Clarice curtsied when I offered her my arm, the other holding her dress, and both our shoes as we wandered through the beautiful feild to her fathers manor._

"_A cherrished pleasure, Miss Clarice." I kissed the back of her hand, my thumb brushing her engagement ring when we reached the back door. A hand maiden came and took the dress and her shoes before disappearing._

_**Eternity**_

"How do you deal with this?" Lilly asked as we sipped coffee in the dreary light of the sun filtering into the Starbucks. "It's insane; I still don't completely believe the whole healing cuts thing, let alone everything else."

"I know." I sighed, I still couldn't believe it either. My life had changed so much so suddenly, it was a headspin. "My brain hurts to think about it."

"Then why put up with it?" She asked, cocking her curriously.

"Because my heart hurts more without Shane." I whispered, looking down at my coffee. "It's crazy; one second I didn't know he even existed, then I thought he was a kidnapping murdered, and now the thought of not having him... It drives me crazy. That's how I know it's real, because it hurts so much to lose him."

"But, you actually believe this thing about immortality?" Lilly asked and I sighed.

"You don't have the memories, Lil." I could remember dieing, I'm sure that's something not everyone could say. "Here." I opened the photo album I'd broguth with me, over a hundred pictures of my and Shane. My favourite was the one when I was 17 and I was asleep and Shane was laying next to me. I flipped to the back where Mom had put all the research. "This is Aleigsha and Shane... Almost _fifteen hundred_ years ago. He hasn't changed at all in fifteen hundred years, if that's not immortality then I don't know what is."

"Wow." Lilly whispered and I nodded, I still felt like that.

"Look at this, this is what started it all." I turned back to the start of the album. "He's been in pictures of me since the day I was born, sometimes in the most impossible places." I sighed again, this was all a big headache. "He wasn' actually there for any of them, but he thinks he appears because our Souls are so tied together."

"That's creepy." Lilly made a face and I laughed.

"Tell me about it, he's even in pictures that I take, not just ones I'm in." When I first saw it creeped me out, even after I met Shane, and even after I realised I was in love with him it still creeped me out,but now... Now it felt like a salvation, knowing that seeing him again when he wasn't near me was only a camera click away. It didn't happen every time, but the idea that I'd know he was okay, he was still with me, we were still onnected, it comforted me now. Looking at pictures of him in photos helped me sleep when he was gone and I hoped I wouldn't have to live off of photos again. "But, Lil, I can't help it. I tried hating him, but..." I let out a breath as I looked absently turned to my favourite picture of me and phantom Shane in my bed when I was 17. "It took a week to fall in love with him and it kills me when he's not here. And I don't want you to hate too, Lils, you're my best friend, my sister, I need you with me on this."

"I'm not gonna be stalker boys biggest fan. Ever." Lilly shook her head with a sigh and I felt my heart drop. "But, if it's that importat to you I'll try to get to know him." She agreed with a small smile.

"Eeep." I squeeled, hugging her happily. "Thank-you so much, Lilly."

"Just don't leave me in the dark again, Miles, it really hurt."

"I'm sorry." I really was, I thought if she didn't know she'd be safer, I never wanted Lilly to be hurt, for any reason.

"I know." She assured, "just don't do it again. We're sisters, Miley, if something or someone is after you, they're gonna have to go through me first."

"That's what scares me." I whispered. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"People are going to get hurt, Miles." Lilly said and I felt sick. "But, we'll make sure it's not us. Together."

"Well, I guess that's one step better than Shane." I sighed, though I wasn't thrilled at the prospect of Lilly being danger. Maybe the artying drinking Lilly that I'd had before I left would be better, at least then she'd be oblivious and safe. "He's Hell bent on keeping me safe, which he's half convinced means he has to kill himself." I shuddered.

"Why?" Lilly cocked her head.

"Because that would break the cycle." I sighed and started explaining the cycle of my life; live, meet Shane, turn 19, fall in love with Shane, get killed by some guy who claims to be a friend or ally or not mean me any harm.

"So who's the guy?" Lilly asked ad I shrugged.

"No idea, neither does Shane, that's why he's so tense half the time."

"What's his excuse the other half?" Lilly snorted.

"The two groups of people who are out to kill him and will come after me and anyone he cares about in order to get to him." I stated bluntly.

"Actors, guitar players, five thousand year old guys with curses... I think your Dad wishes you would, like, a doctor or something." Lilly joked and I laughed.

"Trust me, I agree." I reached up to the necklace Shane gave me. "But, you just can't help who you fall in love with."

"If he hurts you not even this curse thing will save him." Lilly swore and I smiled. That's my Lilly, the one I'd grown to lve like a sister over the last six years, not the Lilly that I'd been living with since we started college.

"I think he'd actually like that." I scoffed, as one we got up and threw away our empty coffees, getting ready to head back to our dorm. Sometimes we were just on the same wavelength. "He's more obsessed with finding the special silver bowl so he can off himself than he is about finding a way out of the curse."

"Real stable guy you got there." Lilly rolled her eyes.

_**Eternity**_

"You want us to just move?" Lilly gaped at Shane and I sighed.

"The dorms aren't safe, too many people, too many opportunities for someone to just walk in and..." He flickered his pained eyes to me. "You should be living privately, in a place with security. For all we know one of the janitors could be one of the Cursed Vegence."

"I'm not moving because you're paranoid, this is ridiculous." Lilly scoffed, starting to stand up.

"For Miley." Shane said desperately and Lilly paused. "I know I already screwed up by coming back, it's because I'm weak ad she's my weak spot. But, I have to do everything to keep her safe. Please?"

"This isn't some community college." Lilly said, though she was biting her lip. "It's on the same level as Ivy League."

"Please?" Shane pleaded, I wanted to agree and jusr kiss all his fears away, but I was with Lilly on this, it was ridiculous. We were plenty safe in the dorms. Especially with Roxy lurking around, I mean seriously, she has weekends off because I'm usually only sitting around my room and I'm pretty sure she still lurks around all 'crouching tiger, hidden Roxy'. "Just think about it; a month ago I walked in here, at two in the morning, right past the security - they just waved me through without even checking for weapons when I had two guns and a knife on my person - and into this room. I took Miley - against her will - from this very room when you were passed out in a drunken stupor right next to her. Whatever security this place has is seriously lacking."

"I wasn't drunk." Lilly protested angrilly. "And you have no right to accuse me of anything when you kidnapped my bes friend."

"You also didn't call the police, or security. You just went on as if she never even existed." Shane glared, just angry as Lilly - if not more - and plenty more violent and deadly.

"You didn't call the police?" Roxy jumped up, outside the window. SSee, I knew she was still here. "What kind of irresponsible is that?"

"Okay, look. No, I didn't call the police right away, but-" Lilly started, looking nervous.

"But nothing, what if I had been one the Cursed Vengence? Miley could be dead by now, and you didn't do anything." Shane snapped and I winced at the pure agonised emotion in his voice.

"Are you okay, Sugar?" Roxy asked coming between me and Shane and Lilly. "Just tell me who to hurt and they'll get to meet my little friends; Des and Troy." She held up her fists threateningly.

"I'm fine, Roxy, Shane is just trying to make a point." I glared at him pointedly and he sighed.

"Miley-" Shane started, looking desperate.

"Shane, stop. Stop trying to blame Lilly." I commanded and he frowned at me. "Whatever reason she had for not calling the cops you should be grateful for it or you would have been arrested." He still looked like he wanted to argue, but stayed quiet. "And, Lil, I love you like a sister, but _please_ don't antagonise Shane? He's just concerned about my safety, an you know why."

"Fine." Lilly muttered and I sighed. "But, I'm not moving just because he's paranoid."

"Is that true?" Roky asked, looking between the three of us. "He just walked in here and took you?" Shane found great interest in his shoes, Lilly stared guiltilly at a spot on the wall and I looked down to my fidgetting hands. "Oh, Hell no, Sugar. You ain't stayin' here." Roxy decided.

"I called Mister Stewart when Miley wasn't here and he said she was safe, that's why I didn't call the cops." Lilly said and I smiled as she shot Shane a smug look. "It's perfectly safe here, Roxy."

"Safe enough for a stranger to walk in here with two guns and take Miley?" Roxy raised an eyebrow at her. I was starting to get a little tired of the three of them talking about me like I wasn't here. "That don't sit with Roxy, and it ain't gonna continue."

"Roxy-" I started, shooting a look at Shane who just looked triumphant, happy that he had someone on his side, even if it was a short, crazy, Puma black woman.

"Nuh uh, you ain't stayin' here if armed people can just walk in and take you." Roxy refused to let me talk.

"I hope you're happy." Lilly shot at Shane.

"I will be." Shane hummed.

* * *

><p><strong>1) Favourite part?<br>2) Least favourite part?  
>3) How do you feel about the way Shane is acting?<br>4) I know it's been a long wait, but I FORCED myself to finish this chapter just for Miley's birthday. I'll try not to wait till her next birthday for the next update :P**

**Everyone tell Miley HAPPY 20TH BIRTHDAY MILEY! So she knows how much we care :D**

**5th update of the night for Miley's 20th birthday...**

**Smiler For Joe!**

**P.S: I just found out I completely missed a chapter of this, so I just posted that too... Don't forget to read XXIII, it'll probably fill in a few hundred blanks in this chapter and the last chapter. :D**


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